Forensic report confirms gas leakage from cylinders as cause of Tezgam inferno
It stated that the presence of sulfur particles in the bogie no. 11 has confirmed the leakage.
LAHORE (Dunya News) – A forensic report determining the cause of the Tezgam inferno that had occurred near Liaquatpur in southern Punjab on October 31 confirmed “the gas leakage from cylinders in bogies no. 10 and 11” but declared that the fire had begun before presence of any flammable substance(s) in the bogies.
The two-page report issued by the Punjab Forensic Science Agency Lahore on Thursday explained that no evidence of petrol, kerosene or any other liquid flammable material from the wreckage of the bogies was found.
The report stated that the presence of sulfur particles in the bogie no. 11 has confirmed the leakage of gas.
The claims of both Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed, who had stated that the fire broke out due to cylinder explosion, and Pakistan Railways Chief Executive Officer Dost Leghari, who had claimed of short circuiting as the cause of the tragic incident, have been termed “suspicious” as evidence of ignition from spots other than the temporary kitchen between the two bogies has also been unearthed.
Besides, experts have opined that a matchstick or smoking of a cigarette in the gas leakage could also be the cause of the incident.
Reinvestigation
On the other hand, the railways ministry has constituted an inquiry committee to reinvestigate the Tezgam fire incident, according to a notification issued on Tuesday.
The legal status of the federal government inspector of railways (FGIR) has been termed suspicious as the appointment was made by railways secretary instead of the federal government.
On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) strictly ordered secretaries of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Railways to personally appear in the next hearing on Feb. 24 in the same case.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani presided over hearing of the case, and expressed displeasure over the proceedings and response from the concerned ministries over the matter.
“Does [the court] needs to summon the Prime Minister now?” the judge asked angrily, adding that people were burnt to death while the two ministries were unaware of telling anything.
“Do we need to tell the Prime Minister that the two ministries aren’t working [properly]?” he questioned.
“Both ministries are asleep as they think that nobody had died in the incident […] if you won’t work, then we will make you work through [the court’s] orders.”
“Even the federal government doesn’t know if an FIR was lodged or not […] [you] are oppressing the people while sitting in a building in Islamabad,” the judge remarked.
“Do you consider the Islamabad High Court “a sort of postal office”? […] after passage of five months, you are writing a letter seeking a report,” the chief justice of IHC lamented.
Meanwhile, the court also ordered all investigation officers in the case to personally appear in the next hearing.
