HYDERABAD, Feb 20: Around 30 survivors of Samjhota Express, who arrived at Hyderabad railway station on Tuesday through Sindh Express, said that it was not a bomb explosion but a massive tragedy that had befallen on the train in the shape of a huge fire.

Looking pale and haggard, they were received by their distraught relatives on the platform-2, who hugged and kissed their loved ones.

All the passengers, who otherwise intended to travel through Thar Express, had to go to India through Lahore-Attari route following closure of Khokhropar-Munabao rail link around half a year ago.

According to railway officials, around 216 passengers, including 13 injured, boarded Sindh Express from Lahore for their onward journey. No injured belonged to Hyderabad as they disembarked somewhere in Sindh or Punjab.

At least 30 survivors are believed to have arrived here who were received by Adviser to Sindh chief Minister on Information Salahuddin Haider, City Taluka Nazim Javed Jabbar, Latifabad Taluka Nazim Sabir Kaimkhani and Muttahida Qaumi Movement zonal in-charge Siraj Rajput. Some of the people belonged to Mirpurkhas and they waited for the local train to leave for their home.

Sindh Express which arrived here at 1.40 am against its scheduled arrival of 9.40 am left for Karachi with remaining passengers on board.

“It was not a bomb but a massive fire that engulfed the two bogies on the rear side. It was a jungle where the train stopped. Soon after the incident, policemen told us to leave the bogie”, said Sharfuddin, who was returning after meeting his maternal uncle in Ajmer Sharif.

He said that they were well-received in Attari when they arrived there through the same train.

“We were in sleeper when we saw the fire raging in rear bogies. We felt its smell which was so overpowering”, said Asma, who was looking tired and was returning along with her mother from Bekanar, Rajasthan state. She said that the passengers were screaming for help and people of the area reached the train and smashed its windows in an effort to open it up.

Azizuddin Sheikh was coming to Pakistan with his wife and son. He was quite confused having seen the tragedy for himself and said that he was not in a position to narrate what had happened. Nevertheless, he recalled that soon after boarding the train, he found that its condition was not up to the mark. ‘I had told my wife God forbid something might happen to the train because its condition is unsatisfactory’, said Mr Sheikh, resident of Shah Faisal colony, Karachi.

Flames, he said, were billowing above the bogies but people of the area came to rescue the passengers. His son Zubair said that policemen had told them to keep the doors locked from inside because it was an international train.

He said that as the train continued its journey, fire engulfed its bogies completely with winds blowing fast. He said that India must improve condition of Samjhota Express.

A Hindu family of Prem Chand of Satellite Town, Mirpurkhas, was also among the passengers. They were returning from Ahmedabad.

He said that rescue work started after 20 minutes of the incident. “There was total darkness and we ran for our lives”, he said.

The railway authorities set up medical camps to help passengers who arrived through Sindh Express.