After a loaded passenger train blew up and burst into flames, at least 65 people died in Pakistan.

The train erupted in a fireball following the explosion of a gas canister used to cook food. Officials said there are many more injured people, some in a critical condition.

The fire destroyed three carriages of the train near Rahim Yar Khan town in the southern province of Punjab.

Railway minister Sheik Rashid Ahmed said to Geo TV:' It blew up two cooking stoves. They cooked, they had (cooking) oil that added fuel to the fire.' He added:' Most deaths were caused by people jumping off the train.'



Punjab health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid told AFP that more than 40 injured people were being transported to local hospitals.



Authorities have warned the death toll could still rise, with the military drafted in to help rescue efforts. People sneaking stoves onto trains in order to prepare meals on long journeys is a common problem, the minister said. Eleven people were killed in an accident in July and four in another accident in September.

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Source: Metro UK