Short-circuit Caused Fire In Tezgham Express: Eye Witness

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Short-circuit caused fire in Tezgham Express: Eye witness

Eye says the fire erupted through AC and a fan was also fell down due to short circuit that caused fire in all three bogies.

RAHIM YAR KHAN: (Urdu Point/Pakistan Point News-Oct 31st, 2019) The fire in Tezgham Express was not because of cylinder blast; it was a short circuit that caused fire in all three bogies of the train, an eye witness said.

He said no cylinder blast took place because the gas in cylinders was evacuated at a station before departure of the train when train officials asked them to get them empty. He said there was smell inside a bogie and a fan was not functioning properly because of short-circuit.

"There was smell and we complained the train officials but nobody to listen to us. The fire was not because of the cylinder blast; it was because of short circuit," said the eye witness.

According to Railways'Minister Sheikh Rasheed, the fire eruppted in boggies of the train because of cylinder blast. He said some of the passengers used a cylinder to prepare their breakfast in the morning after which explosion took place that engulfted the three bogies.

At least 70 people died and 36 others injured due to fire in Tezgham Express while hundreds of others jumped off the train to save thier lives.

Deputy Commissioner Jamil Ahmad said that these members of Tablighi Jamaat who were travelling in the three bogies. Accrding to local police, children and women were also amongst the injured who were shifted to nearby DHQ Hospital in Liaqatpur Tehsil.

The eye-witness said that it might be because of short-circult in the train. Two bogies of the total three were of economy class while one was of business class.

Rahim Yar Khan DPO confirmed the deaths in the incident fearin that the death toll may go high as hundreds of passengers were travelling in the three bogies.

Soon after the incident, Rescue Service 1122 reached the spot and extinguished the fire. The rescue workers are still continuing thier operation to control the fire and cool it. The contingents of Pakistan Army including doctors and paramedics also reached at the spot to provide emergency medical care to the victims and to assist others teams in rescue operation.

The sources at the hospital, however, say that 10 to 12 persons are in critical condition and therefore the dealth toll may go up further.

Fida Hussnain

Fida Hussnain is a lahore based journalist. He writes on politics, religion, social issues and climate change. He is also a research fellow at University of Gujrat.