Pak train fire: Eyewitnesses say short-circuit caused fire

Islamabad, Oct 31 (IANS) A passenger of Tezgam train has disputed the statements of Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed that the incident took place due to gas cylinders carried by tableeghi jamaat members.In a video that went viral, the eyewitness claimed that the fire could not be attributed to the gas cylinder blast as all the cylinders were emptied at the station.The fire broke out in the AC sleeper where the cylinders were not allowed, he said adding that they were told by railway personnel that it was infact due to a short circuit in the ceiling fan, the Pakistani media reported.He claimed the fan had not been repaired for the past four days.The eye witness added, there were no fire extinguishers in the carriages and rejected the railways minster's statement that tableeghi jamaat passengers were behind the incident.At least 73 people were killed and dozens wounded after a passenger train erupted in flames in central Pakistan on Thursday enroute to Rawalpindi from Karachi.
--IANS rt/