KARACHI: At least seven people, including four children, perished when a carriage of a Lahore-bound train caught fire in the Khairpur district of Sindh during the early hours of Thursday.
The tragedy occurred near Tando Masti Khan, with Pakistan Railways’ District Coordination Officer Mohsin Siyal confirming the death toll. Of the six bodies recovered, police surgeon Dr Abu Talib said they were unidentifiable and would require DNA testing before being returned to their families.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
According to a press statement by Pakistan Railways, the train, Karachi Express, was traveling from Karachi to Lahore when an alert was received that the air-conditioned business coach had caught fire at around 12:30 am.
The train was stopped near Tando Masti Khan station, and the fire brigade arrived around 1:50 am to extinguish the fire, which took 40 minutes.
The statement added the affected carriage was disconnected, and the train resumed its journey at 6:45 am. The 70-year-old woman was gravely injured while attempting to escape the burning carriage and later died from her injuries.
The Sukkur district commissioner, district coordination officer, and railway officials were present at the scene and managing the situation.
Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique ordered an investigation into the incident and established a team headed by the inspector of railways to probe further.