Seven people, including four children, died early on Thursday after a fire broke out on a train traveling from Karachi to Lahore.
According to Pakistan Railways officials, the fire broke out in a bogie of the Karachi Express train near Khairpur. They said the deceased included one man and two women, adding that six of the bodies were “unidentifiable” and would be returned to their families after their identities had been determined via DNA testing.
In a press release, the Pakistan Railways said that it had been informed of a fire in a business-class coach on the train around 12:30 a.m. Subsequently, it said, the train was stopped near the Tando Masti Khan station and a fire brigade deployed, which reached the site around 1:50 a.m. The firefighters brought the flames under control after 40 minutes, it added.
According to the statement, one of the victims was a 70-year-old woman who had succumbed to injuries sustained after she attempted to jump to safety from the blazing carriage. It said the train had resumed its journey to Lahore around 6:45 a.m. after the burnt bogie had been separated from it.
Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has ordered an inquiry into the incident and formed a committee led by the federal government railways inspector to determine what caused the fire.