A man lost his life after being charred to death in the fire that erupted in two air-conditioned bogies of the Tata Nagar-Ernakulam Express in Andhra Pradesh on Monday. The train, which was travelling from Tata Nagar, caught fire in the early morning hours, and the fire quickly spread to B1 and M2 AC coaches.
The fire was immediately brought under control by the fire services, and the train resumed its journey after rearranging the coaches, HT reported.
How did the fire breakout ?
According to Railway sources, the incident was first noticed by loco pilots near a railway point close to Yelamanchili and was reportedly caused due to the overheating of the brakes of the B1 AC coach, which caught fire.
Although the train was immediately halted, the fire quickly spread to the two AC coaches before the arrival of the fire services.
People started panicking and rushed to the platform as thick smoke filled the coaches. The situation was worsened by low visibility and dense fog.
After the authorities removed burnt coaches and rearranged passengers into the remaining compartments, the train resumed its journey further.
Also read: One dead as two bogies of Tata Nagar-Ernakulam Express catch fire in Andhra Pradesh
{{/usCountry}}Also read: One dead as two bogies of Tata Nagar-Ernakulam Express catch fire in Andhra Pradesh
{{/usCountry}}The train eventually reached Anakapalli four hours behind schedule. Firefighters successfully brought the fire under control after working for several hours.
Despite the efforts, two coaches were completely charred, and a passenger, identified as 70-year-old Chandrasekhar Sundar, died due to burns.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu applauded the efforts of the fire department in evacuating 150 passengers from the train. He also expressed condolences to the one person who died in the fire.
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Following the accident, rail traffic on the Vishakhapatnam-Vijaywada route was temporarily suspended, and several trains faced delays.
Railway authorities have ordered a detailed inquiry into the cause of the fire and are assessing any safety lapses.
(With inputs from HT correspondent)