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Madurai train fire: ‘Trip turned lifetime nightmare for us’, says traveller
The fire broke out at 5.15am in a “private party coach” with 65 passengers who had arrived from Lucknow, according to the release from the Southern Railway
At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured after a blaze engulfed a stationary train compartment near Madurai railway station in Tamil Nadu on Saturday.
The fire broke out at 5.15am in a “private party coach” with 65 passengers who had arrived from Lucknow, according to the release from the Southern Railway.
The Uttar Pradesh government have so far identified six out of 10 deceased passengers.
The six deceased were identified as Parmeshwar Dayal Gupta, 55, from Hardoi, Satru Daman Singh, 65, from Sitapur, Mithilesh Kumari, 62, from Sitapur, Shanti Devi, 67, from Lakhimpur Kheri, Manaroma Agarwal, 80, from Lucknow, Himani Bansal, 22, from Lucknow, a press note from the UP government said.
Alos Read: What caused Madurai train fire that killed at least 10 tourists, injured many
Speaking to the reporters on Saturday, Shiv Pratap Singh, 65, a Sitapur resident of Adasdh Nagar, who lost his wife Mithilesh Kumari, 62, and his brother-in-law Satru Daman Singh, 65, in the tragic train fire accident, said, “The tour that we had planned turned into a lifetime nightmare for us.”
“It was around 4:30am when we were sleeping. The staff of the travel agents who booked the tour package were making tea when the blast took place. We were in the coach. The fire was very intense. My wife and my brother-in-law were seriously injured. We were all taken to the district hospital in Madurai where my wife and brother-in-law succumbed to injuries and I and my sister-in-law were discharged,” said Singh who is a retired official of the state agriculture department.
“We only want the dead bodies to reach home. We request from the Government of U.P to help reach the dead bodies as soon as possible,” he said.
“I saved four people by rescuing them but unfortunately could not save my wife and brother-in-law,” he added.
Sharing a similar sentiment, Jyoti Gupta, another passenger from Hardoi said that first, a pungent smell started coming which triggered panic among everyone, and then a sudden blast aggravated the situation.
“The gates were locked and so we had to break one of the gates to save ourselves,” said Jyoti who was with around six to seven people, including her husband’s friend Parmeshwar Dayal Gupta, 55, who lost his life in the incident.
Shanti Devi, 70, a resident of Khotni Village in Lakhimpur Kheri died after being injured in a fire. “I lost my wife and my 22-year-old grandson Harsh Verma is undergoing treatment at the hospital,” said Ram Monahohar Verma, 70, a retired government teacher on call from Madurai district hospital.
“I’m waiting for the administration to do something as my family is unable to reach here at such short notice. I pray for my grandson’s speedy recovery,” he added.
In the incident, a grandmother and daughter duo also lost their lives. “Himani Bansal, 22, from Lucknow and her maternal grandmother Manorama Agarwal, 80, were going to Rameshwaram and were killed in the incident,” said Jytoi Gupta, a fellow passenger from Hardoi on a call.
Police, fire and rescue services personnel besides railway staff, involved in dousing the fire, extricated the charred bodies from the compartment.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief and offered condolences to the families of the deceased. He instructed officials to coordinate with railway officials and make all necessary arrangements for the treatment of all the injured passengers belonging to UP.
Adityanath also announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the kin of the deceased in the Madurai train fire.
Earlier in the day, Southern Railway also announced an ex-gratia of ₹10 lakh to the kin of the deceased in the accident.
