At least 65 people died this morning in a fire that broke out in a passenger train in Pakistan, Yasmin Rashid, who heads health authorities in central Punjab, told AFP.

According to her, there are also more than 40 injured who are being transported to hospitals in the region. So far, only 18 of the dead have been recognized.

According to the DPA, the train was on its way from Karachi to Lahore when it caught fire. The cause of the fire was a gas bottle that passengers picked up on the train to make their breakfast, but it exploded.

At least three wagons were engulfed in flames and people began to jump from the still moving train. An investigation into how the gas bottle ended up in the composition began, as it is forbidden to board such objects on trains.

Rail accidents are not uncommon in Pakistan, which has inherited a developed railway network from the British colonial authorities. Poorly maintained, however, today it has been ruined by decades of corruption, inadequate leadership and a lack of investment, AFP added.