KHAIRPUR, April 27 : At least seven people, including three children, died on Thursday after a fire broke out in a bogie of the Karachi Express train near Sindh’s Khairpur.
Authorities received information of a fire in a business-class coach on the train shortly after midnight as it traveled from Karachi to Lahore.
The train was then immediately stopped near Tando Masti Khan station and an emergency was reported to the fire brigade. The first fire-fighting vehicles reached the spot at around 1:50am and after a struggle of about 40 minutes, the fire was brought under control.
The fire claimed the lives of seven passengers while four others remain unaccounted for. One of the passengers, 70-year-old Rabia Bibi, succumbed to her injuries after jumping from the burning coach.
Authorities later separated the affected coach and the train resumed its journey around 7:30am.
DS Sukkur, DCO Sukkur, and other railway officers were present at the spot to supervise the rescue efforts and report to the ministry.
Taking strict notice of the incident, an investigation was ordered by the ministry.
In this regard, a team under the leadership of the federal government inspector of railways has left for the scene of the incident and the media will also be informed as soon as the investigation is completed.
In 2019, 74 lives were snuffed out when a blaze ignited by a cooking gas cylinder blast swept through a passenger train that was en route to Rawalpindi from Karachi.
The cylinder brought by some passengers said to be members of Tableeghi Jamaat on board Tezgam Express exploded when the train was chugging past Liaquatpur city in the southern Punjab district of Rahim Yar Khan, according to officials.
The fire, fanned by the wind on the cruising train, quickly spread to two other compartments of the train catching most passengers off guard.
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