Hyderabad: A 70-year-old traveler perished in a blaze that engulfed two air-conditioned coaches of the Tata Nagar-Ernakulam Express (Train No. 18189) early Monday morning in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district, according to police reports.
The incident occurred around 1:30 am as the train, en route from Tatanagar to Ernakulam through Visakhapatnam district, passed Duvvada station. The fire originated in the adjacent B1 and M2 AC coaches, near the pantry car.
Loco pilots spotted the flames near a railway point close to Yelamanchili and promptly stopped the train at the station. Despite quick response, the fire spread swiftly, completely destroying both coaches before firefighting teams arrived.
Dense smoke triggered panic among passengers, who evacuated to the platforms amid low visibility and confusion. Most escaped unharmed, but one individual was trapped.
The victim was identified as Chandrasekhar Sundar, 70, from Vijayawada, who succumbed to burns in the B1 coach.
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The train arrived at Anakapalli station about four hours delayed. Sources indicated that after departing Anakapalli, overheating brakes in the B1 coach may have sparked the flames near Narsingaballi.
Fire crews from Anakapalli, Elamanchili, and Nakkapalli battled the blaze for hours. All belongings in the affected coaches were lost.
Senior railway officials inspected the site, with ambulances on standby. Passengers endured hours of waiting in the chilly night.
Rail services on the Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada route were briefly halted, causing delays to multiple trains.
By 3:30 am, the damaged coaches were detached, and affected passengers were relocated to other compartments. Some were transported by APSRTC buses to Samarlakota, where replacement AC coaches were added before the train proceeded to Ernakulam.
Trains from Visakhapatnam toward Vijayawada were held at various stations during clearance operations.
Railway authorities have launched an inquiry to determine the fire’s cause and review potential safety issues.