Andhra train fire: One dead as two coaches carrying 158 passengers catch fire

PTC News Desk: One person lost his life after a fire erupted in two coaches of the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express in the early hours of Monday in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district, railway authorities said.

The incident took place around 1 am near Elamanchili railway station when the loco pilot spotted flames coming from a coach and immediately stopped the train. Most passengers were evacuated without delay, but a body was later discovered inside a burnt coach. 

Officials said the fire first broke out in the B1 coach and then spread to the adjacent M1 and B2 coaches. The affected coaches were quickly detached from the rest of the train, which helped prevent the fire from spreading further. Although B1 was the initial coach to catch fire, the M1 and B2 coaches also suffered extensive damage and were later found to be completely gutted. 

According to officials, one of the coaches had 82 passengers while another had 76 at the time. “Unfortunately, a body was recovered from the B1 coach,” an official said, adding that the deceased was identified as Chandrasekhar Sundaram. The train was en route from Tatanagar to Ernakulam when the blaze was detected. Despite panic and chaos, railway officials confirmed that all other passengers are safe.

An investigation has been initiated to ascertain the cause of the fire.