46 dead, 30 injured in Tezgaam train inferno

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BAHAWALPUR, Oct 31 (APP):District Police Officer (DPO), Rahimyar Khan, Ameer Taimore Khan has confirmed that 46 passengers had been killed and over 30 injured as gas cylinder stove burst in a Tezgaam train bound from Karachi to Rawalpindi while crossing through Chani Goth area.

Talking to journalists, he said a group of passengers started cooking breakfast on a gas cylinder stove that burst into flames. He said that fire further got fuel as cooking oil was being used for preparing breakfast.

“At least 46 bodies of passengers burnt into death and over 30 others were injured as huge fire erupted in economy class bogie of Tezgaam train when it was crossing through Chani Goth area lying within jurisdiction of Tehsil Liaquatpur of Rahimyar Khan district,” the senior police official said.
Khan said the fire engulfed another two bogies and resultantly, three bogies including one economy class and two business class bogies caught fire that caused death and injuring of passengers.
Deputy Commissioner, Rahimyar Khan, Jameel Ahmed Jameel said according to preliminary information, a group of Tablighi Jamaat boarded Tezgaam train coming from Karachi to Rawalpindi was travelling towards Raiwind.

He said the members of Tablighi Jamaat switched on gas cylinder stove and placed cooking oil pot over it to prepare breakfast.

“Gas cylinder stove burst into flames and engulfed three bogies of the train, causing casualties,” the DC said.

District Emergency Officer, Punjab Emergency Service, Rescue 1122 Bahawalpur region, Baqir Hussain said ambulances and rescue teams rushed from Bahawalpur to Chani Goath, Liaquatpur to rescue the victims.

He said the dead and injured were shifted to hospitals in Liaquatpur and Bahawalpur.
He, however, added that some injured were shifted to Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) Bahawalpur due to their critical condition. He confirmed that some passengers died as they jumped out of the train to save them from huge fire.

A senior official of Pakistan Railways, Aijaz Ahmed said rescue and relief operation was underway. He said inquiry had been ordered to investigate the incident. He informed that railway track had been cleared for routine railway traffic.

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