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Blaze engulfing three railcars packed with over 200 riders in Pakistan leaves 73 dead

The tragedy was traced to an explosion of gas cylinders that caused the train fire

© AP Photo/Siddique Baluch

ISLAMABAD, October 31. /TASS/. Three railway cars carrying more than 200 passengers that was on its way from Karachi to Rawalpindi in Pakistan, burst into flames killing 73, and leaving dozens injured, TV channel Geo TV reported on Thursday.

The tragedy was traced to an explosion of gas cylinders that caused the train fire. After the blast, the fire quickly spread to the two neighboring cars. As a result, two economy-class cars and one business-class car with 209 people in them went up in flames.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that the fire was extinguished and that "cooling efforts" were underway. "Two cooking stoves blew up. They were cooking, they had [cooking] oil which added fuel to fire," Geo TV quoted the railways minister as saying. "Most deaths occurred from people jumping off the train."

The Pakistan Armed Forces reached at the scene and joined the rescue operation. "Pakistan Army soldiers are working with the civil administration to help with the operation. An army aviation helicopter has reached the scene of the incident," according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). "Pakistan Army doctors and paramedics are also helping with the relief operation," ISPR added.

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