IBNS-CMEDIA: At least one passenger was charred to death after a fire broke out in two air-conditioned coaches of the Tata Nagar–Ernakulam Express (Train No. 18189) at Duvvada in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district early on Monday.
According to preliminary information, the train, which was travelling from Tatanagar to Ernakulam via the Visakhapatnam district, caught fire around 1.30 am shortly after crossing Duvvada, the Hindustan Times reported.
Flames were reported from the B1 and M2 AC coaches, both located adjacent to the pantry car.
A railway police official told Hindustan Times that the incident was first noticed by the loco pilots near a railway point close to Yelamanchili. The train was immediately halted at the station. However, the fire spread rapidly before firefighters could bring the blaze under control.
Panic gripped passengers, many of whom rushed out of the coaches after noticing the flames. Eyewitnesses said visibility was extremely poor due to dense smoke, adding to the confusion and fear.
Authorities have launched a probe to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.
The victim has been identified as Chandrasekhar Sundaram. “Unfortunately, a dead body was found in the B1 coach,” an official told India Today.
