A fire on a passenger train left at least 65 people dead and more than 40 wounded on Thursday (October 31st) in Pakistan, said provincial health minister Yasmin Rashid.
The wounded are being evacuated to hospitals in the area, she added, adding that only 18 people killed could have been identified at this stage.
The burning train is located near Rahim Yar Khan district in Punjab province, central Pakistan.
TV stations broadcast footage of the train with several cars ravaged by the flames.
A gas cylinder brought by a passenger
"Terrible tragedy in a Tezgam train (named after the line connecting the cities of Rawalpindi and Karachi) with the explosion of a gas cylinder brought by a passenger Prayers and condolences to the families of the victims", responded the Pakistani Minister Shireen Mazari Human Rights.
Terrible Tezgam tragedy train with gas cylinders carried by passenger exploding. Prayers and condolences go to the victims families. A tragedy that could have been avoided but never since. Tragic.
Shireen Mazari (@ ShireenMazari1) October 31, 2019Decrepit railway network
Local media reported that passengers were cooking a meal when the bottle exploded.
Railway accidents are common in Pakistan. The country has inherited its colonial past, under British rule, a vast network of railways.
Poorly maintained, it is now decrepit after decades of decline due to corruption, inadequate management and lack of investment.
With AFP