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| Pakistan Train Catches Fire, Killing More Than 70 | Pakistan Train Catches Fire, Killing More Than 70 |
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| ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — At least 72 people were killed in central Pakistan on Thursday morning after a cooking stove being used on a train exploded, officials said. Witnesses said that some desperate passengers began jumping off the burning train while it was still moving. | |
| The train, known as the Tezgam Express, was on its run from the southern city of Karachi to the city of Rawalpindi when three cars caught fire around 6:30 a.m. near a railway station at Liaquat Pur, a city in the southern province of Punjab. | The train, known as the Tezgam Express, was on its run from the southern city of Karachi to the city of Rawalpindi when three cars caught fire around 6:30 a.m. near a railway station at Liaquat Pur, a city in the southern province of Punjab. |
| Officials said some passengers had been preparing breakfast aboard the train, which is against regulations, when the gas cylinder fueling the stove exploded. The resulting fire quickly engulfed three cars full of passengers — two economy-class cars and one business-class car. At least 40 people were reported to have been injured. | |
| Uzma Bibi was on the train with 17 family members on their way to a wedding in the city of Lahore. They heard an explosion, she said, and looked out the windows to see flames starting to billow out from nearby cars. | Uzma Bibi was on the train with 17 family members on their way to a wedding in the city of Lahore. They heard an explosion, she said, and looked out the windows to see flames starting to billow out from nearby cars. |
| “There was panic, and everyone started shouting,” she said. “Seven people in our car jumped off to save their lives.” | “There was panic, and everyone started shouting,” she said. “Seven people in our car jumped off to save their lives.” |
| Batool Fatima, a 25-year-old student, said that one thing making the panic worse was that the train’s emergency brake didn’t seem to work. “They tried to stop the train by pulling the emergency rope, but the train didn’t stop immediately.” | Batool Fatima, a 25-year-old student, said that one thing making the panic worse was that the train’s emergency brake didn’t seem to work. “They tried to stop the train by pulling the emergency rope, but the train didn’t stop immediately.” |
| Muhammad Tariq, who was injured along with his family members when they jumped from the train, said: “People started frantically screaming and shouting. They were begging for the train to stop. Train speed further fanned the fire.” | Muhammad Tariq, who was injured along with his family members when they jumped from the train, said: “People started frantically screaming and shouting. They were begging for the train to stop. Train speed further fanned the fire.” |
| He added: “Had the train stopped immediately, the death toll would have been less.” | He added: “Had the train stopped immediately, the death toll would have been less.” |
| Officials said 11 people who had been severely burned were flown to a hospital in a nearby city, Multan, on a military helicopter. | Officials said 11 people who had been severely burned were flown to a hospital in a nearby city, Multan, on a military helicopter. |
| Many passengers in the economy cars belonged to Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic evangelical group, and were traveling to attend an annual congregation of the fraternity near Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab. | Many passengers in the economy cars belonged to Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic evangelical group, and were traveling to attend an annual congregation of the fraternity near Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab. |
| Members of the group typically camp for several days during the assembly and bring food, bedding and cooking implements. Pakistan’s railway minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, told reporters in Multan that members of the group had used gas stoves on the train, despite having been told not to by a guard. | Members of the group typically camp for several days during the assembly and bring food, bedding and cooking implements. Pakistan’s railway minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, told reporters in Multan that members of the group had used gas stoves on the train, despite having been told not to by a guard. |
| “They turned the stove off in front of the guard, and when he left, turned it back on,” Mr. Ahmed said. | “They turned the stove off in front of the guard, and when he left, turned it back on,” Mr. Ahmed said. |
| Local news media quoted one passenger, who identified himself as a member of Tablighi Jamaat, as saying that a short circuit in a fan was to blame for the fire, not a cooking stove. His account could not be independently verified. | Local news media quoted one passenger, who identified himself as a member of Tablighi Jamaat, as saying that a short circuit in a fan was to blame for the fire, not a cooking stove. His account could not be independently verified. |
| Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was “deeply saddened by the terrible tragedy.” He said in a Twitter post that he had “ordered an immediate inquiry to be completed on an urgent basis.” | Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was “deeply saddened by the terrible tragedy.” He said in a Twitter post that he had “ordered an immediate inquiry to be completed on an urgent basis.” |
| Shireen Mazari, Pakistan’s minister for human rights, said on Twitter that it was “a tragedy that could have been avoided,” and that for as long as she could recall “no baggage check or restrictions” had been enforced for train travel. | Shireen Mazari, Pakistan’s minister for human rights, said on Twitter that it was “a tragedy that could have been avoided,” and that for as long as she could recall “no baggage check or restrictions” had been enforced for train travel. |
| Accidents have become frequent on Pakistan Railways, and accusations of poor maintenance, corruption and lax safety standards have intensified. | Accidents have become frequent on Pakistan Railways, and accusations of poor maintenance, corruption and lax safety standards have intensified. |
| At least 80 accidents were reported between July 2018 and July 2019. In the worst, at least 21 people were killed and 85 were wounded on July 11 when a passenger train collided with a freight train near Sadiqabad. On June 20, a passenger train collided with a freight train in Hyderabad, resulting in the death of the driver and an assistant driver. | At least 80 accidents were reported between July 2018 and July 2019. In the worst, at least 21 people were killed and 85 were wounded on July 11 when a passenger train collided with a freight train near Sadiqabad. On June 20, a passenger train collided with a freight train in Hyderabad, resulting in the death of the driver and an assistant driver. |
| As Mr. Khan ran for prime minister last year, his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, vowed to turn Pakistan Railways around, saying that corruption and mismanagement in previous administrations were to blame for the service’s dismal state. | As Mr. Khan ran for prime minister last year, his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, vowed to turn Pakistan Railways around, saying that corruption and mismanagement in previous administrations were to blame for the service’s dismal state. |
| But since Mr. Khan came to power last year, it has struggled just as much to improve safety and efficiency, analysts say. The current railway minister, Mr. Ahmed, who has held the post before, is a veteran politician and ally of Mr. Khan. | But since Mr. Khan came to power last year, it has struggled just as much to improve safety and efficiency, analysts say. The current railway minister, Mr. Ahmed, who has held the post before, is a veteran politician and ally of Mr. Khan. |
| On Thursday, Mr. Ahmed initially insisted that the rail system was not to blame for the deaths. “It is not the fault of Pakistan Railways,” he said. “The passengers are responsible for this.” | On Thursday, Mr. Ahmed initially insisted that the rail system was not to blame for the deaths. “It is not the fault of Pakistan Railways,” he said. “The passengers are responsible for this.” |
| He later acknowledged, however, that the failure to enforce safety measures, like the ban on cooking by passengers, amounted to negligence. | He later acknowledged, however, that the failure to enforce safety measures, like the ban on cooking by passengers, amounted to negligence. |
| Quratul Ain Asim contributed reporting from Multan, Pakistan, and Daniel Victor from Hong Kong. | Quratul Ain Asim contributed reporting from Multan, Pakistan, and Daniel Victor from Hong Kong. |