At least 10 people were killed and more than 50 others sustained burn injuries after a “private party coach” of a train caught fire in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai on Saturday. The incident took place in the wee hours and fire services were called to douse the flames coming out of the coach. The Southern Railways said that the private coach caught fire due to a gas cylinder that was smuggled illegally by the passengers.
“The fire was reported in a private coach at Madurai yard at 5:15 am today in Punalur-Madurai Express. Fire services have arrived and put off the fire and no damage has been caused to other coaches of the train. The passengers have allegedly smuggled a gas cylinder that caused the fire,” a Southern Railway Official said in a statement.
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Madurai District Collector MS Sangeetha reached the spot and led the rescue efforts. So far, 10 bodies have been recovered from the coach. The injured have been rushed to nearby hospitals in the city. The collector said the passengers in the coach were pilgrims who were traveling from Uttar Pradesh. She said the coach caught fire after one of the passengers lit the gas stove to make coffee and the gas cylinder blasted.
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“Around 5:30 am today, there was a fire in a coach halted here at Madurai railway station. Pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh were traveling in it. When they lit the gas stove to make coffee, the gas cylinder blasted. As of now, we have retrieved nine bodies,” said Madurai District Collector MS Sangeetha.
The party coach was attached to the Punalur-Madurai Express, which began its journey from Lucknow on August 17 and arrived at Madurai at 3.47 a.m. today. There was no damage to other coaches as of the train as the “party coach” was detached and kept at the Madurai Stabling line when the fire broke out at 5.15 am.
The “private party coach” was scheduled to return to Chennai on Sunday by Train Number 16824, the Kollam-Chennai Egmore Ananthapuri Express, and then return to Lucknow from there.
Meanwhile, Southern Railways has announced ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the kin of the deceased.
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