According to initial inquiry, the fire was caused by a cylinder blast that occurred in the morning when some passengers were preparing their breakfast, senior officer of Railways said, adding they were going to participate in 'Tableeghi Ijtima' at Raiwand. "Many people saved their lives by jumping off the train."

Chairman Railways Raja Sekindar Sultan ordered an inquiry into the incident and sought report from officials concerned within 15 days. The train was bound for Rawalpindi from Karachi via Lahore. According to railways spokesperson, the dead and injured are being shifted to DHQ Hospital in Liaquatpur. Some of the injured have also been shifted to Victoria Hospital in Bahawalpur due to their critical condition.

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad announced that a compensation of Rs 1.5 million will be paid to the heirs of deceased and Rs 500,000 to those who have been injured. He travelled to the scene of incident and met families of the victims.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019