Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistan over train inferno

People looks at the burnt-out train carriages a day after a passenger train caught on fire in Rahim Yar Khan on November 1, 2019. (AFP)

• 74 people were reported dead and another 40 injured when a crowded train caught fire on Thursday
• Prime Minsiter Khan termed the incident a "terrible tragedy" and has ordered immediate probe

ISLAMABAD: Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz has offered condolences to Pakistan’s president Dr. Arif Alvi over the precious lives lost in the tragic train blaze, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Friday.
“We call Allah the Almighty to bestow his mercy on the deceased, and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” the king said in a cable message sent to the president.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also condoled the deaths in a separate message sent to President Alvi, the SPA reported.
“I offer my condolences to Your Excellency and victims’ families, calling Allah the Almighty to bestow his mercy on the deceased, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured,” the message from the crown prince read.
Meanwhile, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, also expressed sincere condolences to the government and people of Pakistan over the victims of Tezgam accident.
On Friday, the Saudi embassy in Islamabad expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives and reiterated solidarity with the people of Pakistan in this time of difficulty.
Around 74 people were killed when a massive fire broke out on a moving train in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province on Thursday while 40 others sustained injuries, according to officials.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has termed the incident a “terrible tragedy” and offered immediate probe into the matter.
The train “Tezgam,” which met the tragic accident, was a daily express service shuttling between Karachi and Rawalpindi and, according to officials, was carrying pilgrims to an annual religious congregation outside Lahore where a tented village is prepared to house around 400,000 people for joint prayers.