65 passengers died while travelling from the Pakistani city of Karachi to Rawalpindi when a train caught fire. Firefighters are trying to extinguish the fire. The military is also participating in the rescue operations. 30 people have reportedly been injured and were taken to hospital, officials say the number of dead may rise.
The accident happened near the town of Rahim Yar Khan in the south of the Punjab Province. The fire was caused by the burning of a cooking stove. Passengers were trying to cook on a small cooking stove, which contradicts traffic rules. The stove burned and the blaze spread to at least three carriages.
Arif Alvi, the President of Pakistan and Imran Khan, the Prime Minister have already expressed their condolences to the families of those dead.
Due to the railway infrastructure and the neglect of the authorities, railway disasters are quite common in Pakistan. According to local media, no one paid attention to the passengers when carrying cooking stoves on the train.
Medea Tskhovrebadze
News Author