Pakistan train inferno

[EddieB]

An awful tragedy in Pakistan sadly so reminiscent of the shocking conflagration that occurred in Egypt several years ago.

 

The fire appears to have been started by two portable stoves, with cooking oil adding fuel.  Although banned by the railway, many passengers still carry stoves to cook their own food, blaming the cost of hot food provision on trains and stations.  Other dangerous practices, such as roof-riding, are still commonplace in Pakistan.

 

The death toll is likely to exceed the 74 currently reported, and includes many who jumped from the moving train, which is said to have not responded to activation of the passenger alarm, spreading the fire even further. (The railway authorities contend that the train came to a stop within three minutes, against up to twenty minutes claimed by some passengers).  Of those burned to death, many of their bodies are unrecognisable and DNA testing will be required to establish identity.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-50245090

[jjb1970]

What to say, other than recognise just what a horrible catastrophe this was and express sympathy for the bereaved, simply awful. If anything good is to come out of this hopefully it will be improved safety standards.

[Bon Accord]

About 8 or 9 years ago I was in Karachi and chatting to one of the military attaches to the High Commission. He told me he'd just flown in from Islamabad (with a domestic airline) where there'd been severe flooding and it had turned into something of a humanitarian disaster. Anyway, there was a severe commotion on the flight and when he had a look some of the passengers had decided to try and set up a cooking stove in the main aisle and the stewardesses were trying to put a stop to it, however the passengers concerned refused to take heed as they couldn't understand what they were doing wrong.  This on a 737.

With much of the population living in rural areas with limited education and already lax safety standards, unfortunately tragedies like this are a sadly common occurrence.