A 70-year-old passenger died after a fire broke out in two air-conditioned coaches of the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express in the early hours of Monday, December 29. The incident took place near Duvvada in Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh.
The train was travelling from Tatanagar to Ernakulam via Visakhapatnam when the fire started around 1.30 am. According to officials, the blaze first broke out in the B1 and M2 AC coaches, which were located next to the pantry car.
The train’s loco pilots noticed flames near a railway point close to Elamanchili and immediately stopped the train. Passengers were quickly alerted, and many managed to move to safer coaches. However, the fire spread very fast.
Despite the swift response, both AC coaches were completely destroyed by the time fire and rescue teams reached the spot. Sadly, a 70-year-old passenger could not be saved and lost his life in the incident.
Railway officials said an investigation has been ordered to find out the exact cause of the fire. Rescue and relief operations were carried out, and arrangements were made to help stranded passengers continue their journey.