At least 74 people, including women and children, have died while dozens others got critical burn injuries after a fire engulfed three bogies of Tezgam Express due to gas cylinder explosion at Liaquatpur in Rahim Yar Khan on early Thursday morning.
According to the Railways minister, the fire incident occurred when some of the passengers were cooking breakfast and suddenly gas cylinder exploded.
Three carriages (No. 3, 4, 5) had been destroyed by the fire, including two economy class carriages and one business class carriage. As many as 207 passengers were travelling in the three affected carriages.
Many took to Twitter to share their condolences with the bereaved families. Actress Mehwish Hayat also condemned the incident.
Prayers & condolences for all those who lost their lives in the #Tezgam incident. Made even more tragic by the fact that it could’ve been prevented if adequate checks on baggage had been in place. How was a restricted item , a gas cylinder allowed onboard?Safety has to come first
— Mehwish Hayat TI (@MehwishHayat) October 31, 2019
“Prayers and condolences for all those who lost their lives in the Tezgam incident. Made even more tragic by the fact that it could’ve been prevented if adequate checks on baggage had been in place,” she wrote. “How was a restricted item, a gas cylinder allowed onboard? Safety has to come first.”
Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed told the media in Multan that the accident took place near the city of Liaquatpur where several people died as they jumped outside the train due to the fire.
