At least seven people killed as Karachi Express train bogie caught fire

Seven people, including four children, were killed after a bogie of a Karachi Express train caught fire near Tando Masti Khan in Sindh’s Khairpur district on Thursday.

The Karachi Express train was bound for Lahore from Karachi.

The cause of the fire could not be ascertained till the filing of this news story.

According to the authorities, six passengers, including three children, were burnt to death in the blaze which engulfed bogie Number 17.

While a 70-year-old, Rabia Bibi, succumbed to her injuries sustained by jumping out of the moving train.

As reported, there were a total of 28 passengers in that carriage.

According to the police, most of the passengers jumped out of the moving train to save their lives.

The deceased were identified as 22-year-old Aneeba, 10-year-old Abdul Rehman, nine-year-old Maryam and five-year-old Fatima.

Four of the deceased, including the minors, were late Rabia Bibi’s family members.

According to the police surgeon, Dr Abu Talib, all the burnt bodies were unidentifiable.

“We will have to wait for the DNA test to come back before handing over the bodies to the bereaved families,” he added.

Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq speaking about the tragic incident of a fire on the Karachi Express train, during the National Assembly session said that it may have been a result of sabotage.

Khawaja Saad Rafiq pledged a thorough investigation into the matter, which will uncover how long it took for the train to stop after pulling the chain and why a woman had to jump.

He stressed the need for funds from the provincial government to improve railways safety and security measures to avoid future disasters.