GUWAHATI: A 70-year-old man lost his life after fire broke out in two air-conditioned compartments of the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express in Andhra Pradesh’s Yalamanchili in the wee hours on Monday.
According to reports, officials received information about the fire at around 1:30 am after the train crossed Duvvada. Flames reportedly broke out in the B1 and M2 AC coaches, located adjacent to the pantry car. The train (No. 18189) was travelling from Tatanagar to Ernakulam via Visakhapatnam district.
Following the incident, firefighting teams from Anakapalli, Elamanchili, and Nakkapalli rushed to the spot and worked for several hours to bring the fire under control. However, despite their efforts, all passenger belongings in the two affected coaches were completely destroyed.
As per officials, 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 from the B1 coach," an official added. The deceased has been identified as Chandrsekhar Sundaram, he added.
According to the official, the incident was first noticed by the loco pilots near a railway point close to Yelamanchili. Following this, the train immediately halted at the station. However, before fire services could arrive, the blaze spread rapidly, completely engulfing and gutting the two AC coaches.
Reports say that thick smoke engulfed the coaches, with passengers panicking and rushing out onto the platforms as they were shocked with what was happening. Eyewitnesses said visibility was poor due to dense smoke, adding to the confusion and fear.
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.
After 3:30 am, railway authorities removed the burnt coaches and began rearranging passengers from the affected coaches into the remaining compartments. Reportedly, passengers from the two damaged coaches were shifted to Samarlakota using three APSRTC buses.The train was later prepared to resume its onward journey.
On the other hand, the Indian Railways have set up helpline numbers to provide assistance and train running information. The helpline numbers are:
Elamanchili - 7815909386
Anakapalle - 7569305669
Tuni - 7815909479
Samalkot - 7382629990
Rajahmundry - 088 - 32420541
088 - 32420543
Eluru - 7569305268
Vijayawada - 0866 - 2575167