Pakistan Train Fire - 65+ Dead

[trainmania100]

At least 65 dead in Pakistan train inferno ‘after gas cookers blow up’
Very tragic

At least 65 dead in Pakistan train inferno ‘after gas cookers blow up’ A gas canister passengers were using to cook breakfast exploded. At least 65 people have died in Pakistan after a packed passenger train blew up and burst into flames. The train erupted in a fireball after a gas canister being used to cook food exploded. Officials have said many more people are injured, some in a critical condition. The fire destroyed three of the train’s carriages near the town of Rahim Yar Khan in the south of Punjab province. Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told Geo TV: ‘Two cooking stoves blew up. They were cooking, they had (cooking) oil which added fuel to fire.’ He added: ‘Most deaths occurred from people jumping off the train.’ Many people were injured and some killed by jumping off the train (Picture: Reuters) Three train carriages were completely obliterated by flames (Picture: Reuters) Authorities have warned the death toll could rise (Picture: Reuters) Punjab health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid told AFP that more than 40 injured people were being transported to local hospitals. Authorities have warned the death toll could still rise, with the military drafted in to help rescue efforts. People sneaking stoves onto trains in order to prepare meals on long journeys is a common problem, the minister said. Eleven people were killed in an accident in July and four in another accident in September. Some 40 injured people have been taken to hospital, some in a serious condition (Picture: Reuters) Gas canisters are regularly taken onto trains, authorities said (Picture: EPA) Got a story for Metro.co.uk? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]. For more stories like this, check our news page. Share this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via whatsapp Share this article via facebook


Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/31/leas...nferno-gas-cookers-blow-11015643/?ito=cbshare

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Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/31/leas...nferno-gas-cookers-blow-11015643/?ito=cbshare

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/

 

[coupwotcoup]

After an earlier suspension in the wake of the fire, the railways minister said 'services have now been restored' - WTF? #crazy

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

The BBC says that at least 74 passengers have died.

At least 74 people have died after a train travelling between the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Rawalpindi caught fire in the middle of its journey.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the fire started when a gas cylinder, which passengers were using to cook breakfast on board, exploded.

The huge blaze spread to at least three carriages.

According to officials cited in local media, many victims died as they tried to jump off the moving, burning train.

Another 40 people were injured. Officials say the number of victims may still rise....

 

[Bletchleyite]

After an earlier suspension in the wake of the fire, the railways minister said 'services have now been restored' - WTF? #crazy

What's crazy about it? If the wheels turn, it could be dragged somewhere else for investigation, though it sounds like they already know the cause.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

What's crazy about it? If the wheels turn, it could be dragged somewhere else for investigation, though it sounds like they already know the cause.

Perhaps "crazy" is the wrong word, but it is surprising that services resumed within 24hrs. If someone had had a tragic mishap with a camping stove on the Night Riviera, I'd be hugely surprised if services were running again in a week let alone a day.

Thankfully we have more of a safety-conscious attitude in the West, even if it does seem to be a PITA at times.

 

[Mountain Man]

Perhaps "crazy" is the wrong word, but it is surprising that services resumed within 24hrs. If someone had had a tragic mishap with a camping stove on the Night Riviera, I'd be hugely surprised if services were running again in a week let alone a day.

Thankfully we have more of a safety-conscious attitude in the West, even if it does seem to be a PITA at times.

I don't see it as surprising at all tbh.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Perhaps "crazy" is the wrong word, but it is surprising that services resumed within 24hrs. If someone had had a tragic mishap with a camping stove on the Night Riviera, I'd be hugely surprised if services were running again in a week let alone a day.

There have been fires on trains in the UK where service was restored within hours. The most recent one I recall is an unfortunate suicide in the toilet of a 350 at Leighton a few years ago. OK, this one is rather major, but if the track isn't damaged why keep things closed for longer? It's not like there was a rolling stock fault, rather no doubt one of those cheap far Eastern camping stoves (the ones you can pick up for about a tenner) blew itself up as they so often do. It amazes me the things can be legally sold in the UK, to be honest - they have been banned outright in some Australian states, and the Australian Scout Assocation won't allow their use, either.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

There have been fires on trains in the UK where service was restored within hours. The most recent one I recall is an unfortunate suicide in the toilet of a 350 at Leighton a few years ago. OK, this one is rather major, but if the track isn't damaged why keep things closed for longer? It's not like there was a rolling stock fault, rather no doubt one of those cheap far Eastern camping stoves (the ones you can pick up for about a tenner) blew itself up as they so often do. It amazes me the things can be legally sold in the UK, to be honest - they have been banned outright in some Australian states, and the Australian Scout Assocation won't allow their use, either.

Minor fires with no loss of life, where the damage is localised, are quite different to a large explosion with many casualties. If a similar event happened here there'd be major investigation with a thorough forensic examination of the ignition point.

Railways in the Indian subcontinent are often packed to the rafters and beyond, and life (at least of the poor proles) just doesn't seem to be valued in the same way. If an Indian or Pakistani train hits a person on the track, they often won't even stop.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Somewhere in the past I recall a comment that in the 1930's - travelling on Kyle line services at certain times could be very unpleasant due to migratory herring workers going south , and being fairly robust characters with a habit of cooking on primus stoves in compartments ,on trains with gas lighting and tanks , and probably of wood construction with zero fire proofing.

Consider the 2 bad train fires on early BR at Beattock and St Neots (?) - a potent mix of flammable train interiors , possibly smoking and lack of full fire fighting equipment. Reports on the Railways Archives website.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

There was also the Taunton sleeper fire back in 1978 which hastened the demise of mk1 sleepers, which weren't designed with modern fire safety features in mind. Caused by dirty bed linen carelessly stacked near an electric heater.

 

[Ianno87]

Perhaps "crazy" is the wrong word, but it is surprising that services resumed within 24hrs. If someone had had a tragic mishap with a camping stove on the Night Riviera, I'd be hugely surprised if services were running again in a week let alone a day.

Thankfully we have more of a safety-conscious attitude in the West, even if it does seem to be a PITA at times.

The rapid reopening of the railway following a fatal accident at Gidea Park as depicted in I Tried to Run a Railway by Gerry Fiennes shows how safety culture has progressed in the UK since then.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

The rapid reopening of the railway following a fatal accident at Gidea Park as depicted in I Tried to Run a Railway by Gerry Fiennes shows how safety culture has progressed in the UK since then.

Without going off topic - Fiennes pretty well knew what had happened (all in the book) , and the re-opening of a key 4 track route section was high priority.

Compare for example a local newspaper report I found of a collision on a colliery line where a workers passenger train , was propelled into a trainload of loaded coal wagons , wooden vehicles , some partial telescoping - 3 serious injuries and about 50 minor ones. I suspect there would have been a letter to the Board of Trade in London and a brief explanation , but this was not on a statutory passenger line , and presumably was left to lie at that. There was a war on.