At least 74 killed in Pakistan train fire after gas cylinder used for cooking explodes

Passengers had reportedly been using cooking stoves to make breakfast when a gas cylinder exploded, causing a fire which engulfed three carriages

Many of the deaths occurred from people jumping off the burning train, police said

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A fire engulfs three train carriages near Rahim Yar Khan in Punjab province, Pakistan, after a gas cylinder being used to cook breakfast exploded. Photo: Reuters

Published: 1:59pm, 31 Oct 2019Updated: 10:14pm, 31 Oct 2019

At least 74 people were killed and dozens wounded after cooking gas cylinders exploded on a train packed with religious pilgrims in central Pakistan on Thursday, a provincial minister said.

Television footage showed flames pouring out of three carriages as people could be heard crying in the incident, in a rural area of central Punjab province.

Some of the passengers – many of whom were religious pilgrims travelling to a congregation in the eastern city of Lahore – had been cooking breakfast when two of their gas cylinders exploded, said Ali Nawaz, a senior Pakistan Railways official.

Many Pakistanis carry food on long train journeys, but gas cylinders are banned, and Nawaz said an inquiry had been ordered.

People and rescuers gather near the site after a fire broke out in a passenger train and destroyed three carriages. Photo: Reuters

Dozens of people were crowded onto the tracks staring at the burning carriages, which had been disconnected from the rest of the train, television images showed.