SANGHAR, Dec 29: More than 1,200 passengers are stuck up at Sarhari Railway Station since Thursday. The train was torched on Friday with 14 coaches and engines being gutted. However, passengers are safe and being provided food by villagers.

Passenger Hafiz Zahid Hussain travelling from Sadiqabad to Karachi informed Dawn by telephone that Hazara Express Train was stopped at Sarhari at 5.30pm on Thursday, while passengers passed cool winter night without food and water.

He said on Friday a mob came to the station, disembarked passengers with their luggage and torched the train at Sarhari near Shahdadpur. It is now Saturday evening but poor passengers are still stranded here.

Not a government or local body representative has come to our aid, while villages are providing food, said Hafiz adding there appears no chance of leaving Sarhari with roads blocked and without transport. The train was travelling from Punjab to Karachi.