One dead as two bogies of Tata Nagar-Ernakulam Express catch fire in Andhra Pradesh

The train, which was traveling from Tatanagar to Ernakulam via Visakhapatnam district, caught fire around 1.30 AM after crossing Duvvada.

Hyderabad:

A 70-year-old man was charred to death and many other passengers were managed to escape when a fire erupted in two air-conditioned bogies of Tata Nagar–Ernakulam Express (Train No. 18189) at Duvvada in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district in the wee hours of Monday, police said.

According to preliminary information, the train, which was traveling from Tatanagar to Ernakulam via Visakhapatnam district, caught fire around 1.30 AM after crossing Duvvada. Flames reportedly broke out in the B1 and M2 AC coaches, located adjacent to the pantry car.

A railway police official said the incident was first noticed by the loco pilots near a railway point close to Yelamanchili,

following which the train was immediately stopped at the station. However, before fire services could arrive, the blaze spread rapidly, completely engulfing and gutting the two AC coaches.

As thick smoke filled the coaches, passengers panicked and rushed out onto the platforms, many uncertain of what was happening. Eyewitnesses said visibility was poor due to dense smoke, adding to the confusion and fear.

Tatanagar Railway officials said all passengers are safe, bringing relief to both travelers and officials. However, they confirmed that one passenger was killed in the incident. The deceased was identified as Chandrasekhar Sundar (70), a resident of Vijayawada, who was allegedly trapped in the B1 AC coach and died due to burns.

The train eventually reached Anakapalli nearly four hours behind schedule. Railway sources indicated that after the train departed Anakapalli, sparks and flames were noticed near Narsingaballi, reportedly due to the breaks of the B1 AC coach overheating and catching fire.

Firefighting teams from Anakapalli, Elamanchili, and Nakkapalli hurried to the spot and worked for several hours to bring the fire under control. Despite their efforts, all passenger belongings in the two affected coaches were completely destroyed.

Senior railway officials reached the station to review the situation on the ground. As a precaution, ambulances were stationed at the site. In the freezing night, hundreds of passengers were forced to wait at the station for several hours.

In view of the accident, rail traffic on the Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada route was temporarily suspended, leading to widespread delays.

After 3.30 am, railway authorities removed the burnt coaches and began rearranged passengers from the affected coaches into the remaining compartments. The train was later prepared to resume its onward journey.

Tatanagar Passengers from the two damaged coaches were shifted to Samarlakota using three APRSRT buses. At Samarlakota, two replacement AC coaches were attached to the train, after which the Tata – Ernakulam Express was scheduled to continue its journey towards Ernakulam.

Several trains headed from Visakhapatnam towards Vijayawada were delayed due to the incident. Trains were halted at Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, and Tuni stations as officials worked to restore normal operations.

Railway officials have ordered a detailed investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire and assess safety lapses, if any.

Visakhapatnam:

A man was killed after two compartments of the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express caught fire at Yaalamanchili, about 66 km from here, a senior police official said on Monday.

The official said they received information about the fire at 12:45 am.

The official told journalists 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 from the B1 coach,” the official added.

The deceased was identified as Chandrasekhar Sundaram.

The two damaged coaches were separated 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 determine the cause of the fire, the police official said.

Visakhapatnam:

A major fire broke out aboard the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express (Train No. 18189) in the early hours of Monday, destroying two air-conditioned coaches and claiming the life of a traveler, sources said. The incident occurred between 1 am and 1.30 am when the Ernakulam-bound train was near Yelamanchili railway station in Visakhapatnam district. The fire erupted in the B1 and M2 AC coaches, located just behind the pantry car.

The loco pilot noticed the blaze and immediately stopped the train at Yelamanchili station, alerting the fire brigade. However, by the time emergency personnel reached the spot, both coaches had been completely gutted. The departed was identified as Chandrasekhar (70), a resident of Visakhapatnam, who was traveling to Vijayawada. Firefighting personnel from Anakapalle, Yelamanchili and Nakkapalli hurried to the spot and worked for several hours to douse the flames. All belongings of passengers traveling in the two affected coaches were completely gutted in the fire.

The Tata Nagar –

Tatanagar Ernakulam Express was halted after flames were spotted near Duvvada around 1.30 am. While most passengers escaped safely, one man was trapped inside and died of burn injuries.

A 70-year-old man was charred to death while several other passengers managed to escape after a fire broke out in two air-conditioned coaches of theTata Nagar–Ernakulam Express (Train No. 18189) at Duvvada in Andhra Pradesh’s Anacapalli district in the early hours of Monday, police said.

According to preliminary information, the train, which was traveling from Tatanagar to Ernakulam via Visakhapatnam district, caught fire at about 1.30 a.m. after crossing Duvvada.

Flames were reported in the B1 and M2 air-conditioned coaches, which were placed next to the pantry car.

A railway police official said that the incident was first reported by the loco pilots near a railway point close to Yelamanchili, after which the train was immediately brought to a halt at the station.

However, before fire services could reach the spot, the blaze spread rapidly and completely engulfed the two AC coaches, gutting them altogether.

As thick smoke filled the compartments, panic gripped the passengers, who rushed out onto the platforms, many of them confused and uncertain about the situation.

Railway officials said that all passengers were evacuated safely, bringing relief to both travelers and authorities.

They, however, confirmed that a passenger lost his life in the incident.

Tatanagar The deceased was identified as Chandrasekhar Sundar (70), a resident of Vijayawada, who was allegedly trapped inside the B1 AC coach and died due to severe burn injuries.

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