1 dead as Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express coaches catch fire

One person was killed after two compartments of the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express caught fire at Yalamanchili, about 66 km from Visakhapatnam, on Monday midnight.  Police received information about the fire at 12.45 am.

A police official told the media that there were 82 passengers in one of the affected coaches and 76 in another when the train caught fire. “Unfortunately, a dead body was found in the B1 coach,” the official added.

Initial investigations indicated that the fire did not originate from the electrical panel side of the coach, which is usually the case, but from the linen storage area, officials said, adding that further investigation is underway, said a Press release from the Vijayawada Division of the South-Central Railway (SCR).

While all passengers deboarded, one passenger, Chandrasekhar Sundar, aged 70 years, could not deboard and died due to fire, said the press release.

The SCR said that ex gratia would be paid to the family of the deceased. Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) of the South-Central Circle will hold a detailed inquiry into the fire incident, it said.

The two damaged coaches were detached from the train, which proceeded towards Ernakulam. The passengers in the damaged coaches will be sent to their destinations. Two forensic teams are working to ascertain the cause of the fire, the police official said.

The SCR, in a statement, said B1 and M2 coaches of the train (No.18189) caught fire and the Railway staff swiftly acted and immediately informed the Fire brigade. The Railway officials also swung into action and assisted passengers in deboarding the train.

The fire brigade reached the spot and extinguished the fire. As a precaution, both the affected coaches and an additional AC III Tier Coach (M1) were detached by creating a gap and pulled away using a shunting locomotive to prevent the fire from spreading further.

The remaining coaches are currently being moved to Samalkot Railway Station, where three empty replacement coaches will be attached to the formation. Meanwhile, passengers from the affected coaches are being shifted to Samalkot station by arranging bus services.

The Commissioner of Railway Safety and other senior officials of SCR have rushed to the site, alongside forensic and medical teams, to determine the cause of the fire and assess any casualties.

All necessary precautions in coordination with local administration are being taken, even as the SCR has set up Helpline Numbers to provide assistance and train running information, the release added.

Meanwhile, Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan said a pressure imbalance was detected when brakes were applied at Yelamanchili station, which triggered an alert on the engine noticed by the loco pilot and station staff.

“Smoke was observed, and passengers were immediately evacuated. A total of 143 passengers were safely deboarded,” the collector told reporters. The collector said the Railway Forensic Department would ascertain the exact cause of the incident after examining the affected coaches, adding that stranded passengers were provided with food and drinking water before the remaining coaches resumed their journey towards Ernakulam.