LAHORE: Chief Executive Officer Pakistan Railways Dost Muhammed Laghari on Wednesday said the Tezgam train had caught fire on Oct 31 last year due to short circuit in wires.
Talking to Geo News, CEO Dost M Laghari said the fire had erupted after wire of an electric kettle had become very hot and it started sparking in the dining car, bogie number 12, of the train. He said electricity in bogie number 12 was taken illegally from bogie number 11’s electric cabin.
The passenger bogie was filled with smoke after the wire was damaged then it affected all the wiring in bogie number 12, he said. He said the cylinder was burst after the bogie had caught fire.
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The Pakistan Railways chief said at least 76 people had died and 48 others injured in the Tezgam inferno incident. “Being federal government inspector of railways, I composed the inquiry report. 15 officials including the deputy DS and commercial officer, who were found guilty of the negligence, have been suspended,” he said.
He said railways was an organization which connected the four provinces, so there was no need to shut it down. “Railways officers and employees should collaboratively make the travel by train safe and comfortable,” he added.
The senior railways officer said the number of freight trains would be increased this year to lower the losses of the organization. “For the first time in Pakistan Railways’ history, we generated Rs5 billion more than the set target after increasing the number of passenger trains,” he said.
The chairman of Railways has issued orders to suspend divisional deputy superintendent of Karachi on the directives of the Ministry of Railways.
Earlier, on November 5, 2019, six officers of Grade 17 and 18 were also suspended, including Karachi Division’s Commercial Officer Junaid Aslam, Assistant Commercial Officers Abid Qamar Sheikh, Rashid Ali, Ehsanul Haq, Karachi and Sukkur Division. The superintendents include Railway Police Dilawar Memon and Habibullah Khattak.
