As the grieving family members bury their dead who were the victims of the Tezgam train fire, others are still waiting in queues to give blood samples so that their loved ones can be identified with DNA testing.
Officials announced on Friday (November 1) that DNA tests to identify the victims would be performed by forensic experts. The DNA tests are expected to identify 52 charred bodies, so they can be handed over to relatives for burial, stated Jamil Ahmed, the deputy commissioner of Rahim Yar Khan.
The fire reportedly originated from the two compartments where Tableeghi Jamaat members were riding in. Officials stated that the forensic teams are expected to complete the identification process within 48 hours. An investigation into the claim that it took 30 minutes for the train to stop has also been launched.
The official report stated that some of the passengers cooked breakfast around dawn on Thursday(October 31), two of their gas cylinders exploded and the fire grew further when flame-able items onboard the train came in contact with the flames.
Pakistan Railways announced a compensation of Rs1.5 million for the families of each of those who perished in the blaze. The families of the dead will also be given Rs500,000 each on behalf of the prime minister. Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said additional precautions would be taken not to allow anyone onboard with cooking stoves or gas cylinders in the future. “We admit our mistake and I assure you, next time it will not happen,” he said.
Sabir Hussain Kaimkhani, a member of the National Assembly’s railways committee, said the accident rate had increased “due to negligence.” He said that alarm systems and emergency brakes in many trains were missing or out of order, and that passenger carriages did not carry fire extinguishers.
