LAHORE: As many as seven people, including four children, died as a bogie of a Karachi Express train caught fire near Tando Masti Khan in Sindh’s Khairpur district during the early hours of Thursday, said a statement issued by the Pakistan Railways Headquarters.

The spokesman for Pakistan Railway, Babar Ali, stated that six of the bodies are unidentifiable and DNA tests will be conducted to identify them. The statement also mentioned that the bodies had been taken to Civil Hospital, Khairpur.

The train was en route from Karachi to Lahore when, at around 12:30 am, an alert was received that the air-conditioned business coach had caught fire. The train was stopped near the Tando Masti Khan station, and the fire brigade was called.

The statement said that the fire was brought under control after 40 minutes of hectic efforts. One of the victims was a 70-year-old woman who suffered severe injuries when she attempted to jump from the burning carriage and later succumbed to injuries.

According to Director PR Babar Ali, the affected carriage was separated from the train, which resumed its journey to Lahore at 6:45 am. Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique ordered an inquiry into the incident and constituted a team, led by the federal government inspector of railways.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023