Islamabad, Nov 9 : The Indian government has so far paid 48.545 million rupees as compensation to 47 legal heirs of 36 victims of the February 18 Samjhauta train blast, which had claimed 68 lives, including 42 Pakistanis.

The Indian High Commission here said in a statement that legal heirs of only six Pakistani victims could not be compensated so for. Out of six, two were undergoing legal formalities and soon would be paid compensation, it added.

The Daily Times quoted the statement as saying that the legal heir of one of the deceased was undergoing DNA test to confirm his relation with the victim, whereas the legal heirs of three victims were yet to be identified.

“The Indian government has announced an ex-gratia payment of one million Indian rupees to the next kin of the victims of the train tragedy. With respect to the injured the entire compensation due to them was paid on spot by the Indian railway authorities,” it said.

The high Commission said that compensation had also been made on the basis of the list of legal heirs provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and other legal claims.

Sixty-eight people, both Indian and Pakistani, lost their lives and several others were injured when blasts and fire took place in two coaches of the Lahore-bound Samjhauta-Attari special train on the night of February 18.

Soon after the incident, the Indian Railways announced a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each for the next of kin of the dead and Rs. 50,000 for the injured. (ANI)