Train accidents

The Tezgam inferno near Liaquatpur in the Rahim Yar Khan district is a horrible reminder of the dangerous times we continue to live in. At least 73 or more precious lives were lost in the fire that broke out early Thursday morning in the train as it journeyed upcountry from Karachi. Accidents involving Pakistan Railways are common and frequent, and there have been a series of them during the year-old tenure of Minister Sheikh Rashid.

The railways minister added insult to injury when he blamed passengers for using a gas cylinder that caused the fire. If he was able to so quickly solve this mystery, he could have gone on to specify which passenger was responsible. The question is: who allowed the gas cylinders onto the train? No one can deny the fact that train accidents are common in Pakistan, where the Railways have seen decades of decline due to corruption, mismanagement and lack of investment.

Imran Rasheed

Kech