Seven die on Ukraine train, passenger's fuel blamed

KIEV, Dec 25 (Reuters) A train fire in eastern Ukraine killed seven people at the weekend and officials said today the blaze was caused by a passenger carrying a canister of fuel.

The Emergencies Ministry said the fire broke out on a local train outside Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, on Saturday. It said initial investigations showed ''a violation of rules of carriage of inflammable materials'' was to blame.

Kommersant Ukraina daily said a passenger was drunk and others on the train complained when fuel began leaking on to the carriage floor. It said he emptied the canister in a fit of rage and set its contents on fire with a lighter.

Ukrainians sometimes carry canisters of fuel with them to guard against possible shortages.

REUTERS MS HT1414