People and rescue workers gather near the site after a fire broke out in Tezgam and destroyed three carriages (Photo: Reuters)
The cheque distribution ceremony was held at the Mirpurkhas deputy commissioner's (DC) office.
At least 74 lives were lost when a blaze ignited by a cooking gas cylinder blast swept through a passenger train that was en route to Rawalpindi from Karachi. The tragedy took place on October 31, 2019, near Rahim Yar Khan.
One of the carriages was carrying several people from Mirpurkhas, from whom 40 were killed.
As per the government's promise following the tragedy, the families of the deceased were paid Rs500,000 each, the critically injured were paid Rs100,000 and moderately injured passengers were paid Rs50,000 each.
Speaking at the occasion, Lal said that the provincial government shared the grief of the losses that had occurred as a result of the tragic incident, adding that despite extreme financial difficulties, the provincial government stood by its promise to compensate the aggrieved citizens. "Nothing is more valuable than the sacrifices of the martyrs," he maintained, while criticising Pakistan Railways and Federal Railway Minister Shaikh Rasheed for failing to abide by their pledge to compensate the victims of the tragedy.
Lal also promised to talk to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah about providing jobs for the deceased's family members who had been left without breadwinners.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 16th, 2020.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ