73 killed in Tezgam train inferno near Rahim Yar Khan: officials – Pakistan

The number of people killed by a fire in three bogies of a Tezgam train near the city of Liaquatpur rose to 73 around 1 p.m., while many remain in critical condition, Rahim Yar Khan district government said Thursday.

About 40 people, including women and children, were injured, said Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid. AFP earlier.

The dead and injured are being transferred to DHQ Hospital in Liaquatpur. Some of the injured have also been transferred to Bahawal Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur due to their critical condition.

The train was heading to Rawalpindi from Karachi. The fire was caused by a cylinder explosion that occurred in the morning when some passengers were preparing their breakfast, said Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, adding that they belonged to a tableeghi jamaat and they headed towards Raiwand.

Many people saved their lives by jumping off the train, the minister said.

In a video message, the Minister of Railways, Rashid, announced that compensation of 1.5 million rupees will be paid to the heirs of the deceased, while 500,000 rupees will be provided to the injured. He traveled to the scene of the incident and will meet with the families of the victims and the injured.

He said that two of the coaches who caught fire were reserved under the name of tableeghi jamaat & # 39; s Emir Hussain The ministry, he said, was preparing a list of victims. Rashid said it was a "failure" on the part of the railroad authorities, since they could not carry out a thorough check of the passengers' luggage.

Later, at a press conference, the railroad minister said 134 trains had been making a one-minute stop for passengers in Raiwind. "The whole world wins with freight and we are the only ones we win with passengers," he said, adding that the ministry was now earning up to Rs180-190 million compared to the previous figure of Rs130 million. "And then this tragedy developed."

Speaking about the tragic incident, Rashid said the passengers who had been using the cylinder had been stopped by a guard and the driver from doing so. "In front of the guard they turned off the stove, but when he left, they turned it on again."

The railroad minister thanked all who participated in the rescue operations, especially the Pak Army ambulances that saved many lives by quickly transporting them to hospitals.

Rashid rejected the impression that there was no availability of "traction chains" to alert the driver to stop the train.
"The train stopped because it was pulled from the chain, otherwise the whole train would have been on fire."

When asked if he would resign from the ministry, Rashid said he would talk about the matter on Sunday. He said an investigation will be conducted within 15 days and that the responsible parties will be punished.

The minister also visited Shaikh Zayed Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan, where some of the injured were treated. He instructed hospital staff to ensure the best possible treatment for all the injured.

The minister will also visit the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Multan.

Nabila Aslam, a railroad official, said DawnNewsTV that passengers must have "hidden the gas cylinder in their clothes" when boarding the train, since transporting one was strictly against the rules.

Rescue teams 1122 have extinguished the fire and are now conducting a cooling and search operation under the supervision of Rashid. Army troops, including doctors and paramedics, were also sent to help rescue teams in the operation, a Public Relations between Services statement said.

An army helicopter was also sent from Multan to rescue the wounded, the ISPR statement added.

Tezgam, one of Pakistan's oldest and most popular train services, runs between Karachi and Rawalpindi. The fare for a single trip from Karachi to Rawalpindi ranges from Rs1,750 for an economical seat and Rs7,650 for an AC Sleeper cabin.

PM orders & # 39; immediate consultation & # 39;

Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was "deeply saddened by the terrible tragedy of the Tezgam train."

"My condolences go to the families of the victims and my prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured. I have ordered an immediate investigation to be completed urgently," he said on Twitter.

President Arif Alvi "expressed deep pain over the loss of precious lives in the tragic explosion."

"The tragedy must be investigated immediately and guarantee responsibility," said PPP President Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. "The prime minister must fulfill his pre-election promise and fire the minister until the investigation is complete."

The president of PML-N, Shehbaz Sharif, said he was "heartbroken by such a great tragedy on the train" and offered his condolences to the bereaved families.

The Minister of Human Rights, Shireen Mazari, extended "prayers and condolences" to the families of the victims of the "terrible tragedy of the Tezgam train".

In a tweet, Mazari lamented that the "tragedy […] It could have been avoided, but since I remember when traveling by train, no baggage checks or restrictions were applied. Tragic."

The head of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, issued a condolence statement and said that such events were the result of "bad planning." He demanded a thorough investigation of the incident.

The leaders of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, Pakistan Awami Tehreek and Millat-i-Jaferia Pakistan also expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and asked the authorities to ensure that the injured receive the best medical treatment and take conducted a thorough investigation into incident.

An investigation was initiated in the incident, APP He cited a senior official of the Ministry of Railways.

The Rawalpindi division office of the Ministry of Railways also issued a notification shortly after the incident ordering police officers posted at the stations, as well as crew members, including guards, assistants, transportation personnel, etc. ., to ensure that no gas cylinder is allowed on board trains.

"It will be the joint responsibility of the crew to run confiscate the gas cylinders that passengers use on the running trains," the notification said.

"[Staff] at stations they should have a joint responsibility to monitor the activities of the passengers and in case something unusual happens, [they] you must report it for timely eradication. "

Train accidents

In July, a train collision in Sadiqabad between the Akbar Express passenger train and a freight train killed more than 20 people and injured more than 80 people.

In June, three people died when a passenger train, the Jinnah Express, crashed into a freight car near Hyderabad. At that time, Rashid had accepted the responsibility and requested an apology from the nation.

"I accept responsibility for this accident and seek an apology from the nation. Such a portfolio is not important to me since I have become a federal minister for the eighth time. And I will resign every time I feel a burden on my conscience," said the minister. . He said at the time.

Additional reports of Javed Hussain.