A train transporting fuel to north-western Myanmar derailed and caught fire, killing 25 people and injuring 62 who were trying to pilfer the fuel, officials said on Saturday.
The train en route from Mandalay with seven petrol coaches and two diesel coaches derailed on day morning just before entering Chat- gyi station, Sagaing Region, about 818 kilometres north-west of Yangon, state railways officials said.
Twenty-five villagers were killed and 62 were injured when the spilled fuel caught fire and exploded.
The villagers were attempting to collect spilled fuel when the coaches caught fire, said officials who requested anonymity.
Fire-fighting trucks from nearby townships extinguished the blaze by Friday afternoon.
The injured victims were taken to hospitals in Kanbalu and Kyunhla townships.
Myanmar, one of the world’s poorest countries that was cut off from most foreign aid during 1988-2011 due to economic sanctions, suffers chronic fuel shortages nationwide.
