At least six people including a woman and children were killed when a fire erupted in the Karachi Express near Khairpur in the early hours of Thursday.

The accident happened near the town of Tando Masti when the fire suddenly engulfed coach number 17, the Railway authorities said. The train was on its way to Lahore from Karachi.

Police said that the body of a man was recovered from the coach, while four children were missing after jumping off from the train.

The bodies of all four children have also been recovered by police. They were moved to Gambat Hospital. Later, they were moved to the Civil Hospital Khairpur, sources said.

Moreover, Rabia Bibi, 70, was seriously injured after jumping from the coach and could not recover from her injuries, while the identity of the other passenger who died is yet to be ascertained, Pakistan Railway said in a press release.

At least 20 passengers were in the coach at the time of the accident. They saved themselves by jumping off the coach, sources said. The railway staff brought the fire, which was not intense, under control on their own.

Team formed to probe Karachi Express fire

The Ministry of Railways has taken strong notice of the incident and ordered an inquiry. In this regard, a team led by the Federal Government Inspector of Railways has left for the spot.

The accident happened at 12:30 AM in the business coach of Karachi Express. The train was immediately stopped near Tando Masti Khan Station.

The fire brigade arrived at the scene by 01:50 am. The fire was brought under control after about 40 minutes of fighting. Two passengers were killed while four passengers are missing from the coach, Pakistan Railway said.

After separating the affected coach from Karachi Express, it has been sent to the destination at 6:45 pm.

The railway traffic was disturbed for a short duration as trains were stopped at different stations. Pakistan Express was stopped at Khairpur, Allama Iqbal at Tandomasti, and Tezgam at Mehrabpur.