International Railroad Discussion > Death toll 74 in Pakistan train fire

I am surprised no one has posted about this already ... the latest from Pakistan tv indicates the death toll is now at 74.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/253801-death-toll-from-tezgam-train-fire-climbs-to-73

 

Will MacKenzie
Dundas, ON

Unbelievable footage.  Sad.

People bring food, little stoves, and gas cylinders on the trains, then the cook the food to sell to other passengers so they can earn some money.  If the train had a food service car, the cars were probably so packed with passengers that most of them could never reach the food service car.

lynnpowell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> People bring food, little stoves, and gas
> cylinders on the trains, then the cook the food to
> sell to other passengers so they can earn some
> money.  If the train had a food service car, the
> cars were probably so packed with passengers that
> most of them could never reach the food service
> car.

In my experience on Indian Railways you don't generally go for food, it comes to you, from the pantry car. It may be the same in Pakistan but you then also have passengers who bring and cook their own food, as here. That happens in India too, especially on very long journeys. A recipe for accidents like this.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/19 04:30 by 86235.

Complete tragedy. Railway needs to ban the tolerance of these items from passengers and add food service or at least allow other types of meals onboard...

Posted from Android

Ok.....here is the story on both India and Pakistan. I have been to both for steam in 1990 and 1994.  The cars (carriages), have steel bars over the windows to prevent people from climbing in and out without buying a ticket.  Common practice.  Now in a crash, or when the train goes off a bridge, into the river,  you can imagine the results.   On one evening trip by Indian steam train, I "talked my way" into the cab of a British built Pacific on the front.......partially for fun, and partially because the cab had no bars.