One passenger was killed after a fire broke out in two coaches of the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district in the early hours of Monday, railway officials said. 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.
The incident occurred around 1 am near Elamanchili railway station when the loco pilot noticed flames in one of the coaches and immediately brought the train to a halt. While most passengers were swiftly evacuated, a body was later recovered from a charred coach.
Officials said the fire originated in the B1 coach and spread to the B2 coach. As a precaution, the affected coaches, along with the adjacent M1 coach, were promptly detached from the rest of the train, preventing the blaze from spreading further. Both fire-hit coaches were completely gutted.
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 halted 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 unsure of what was happening. Eyewitnesses said visibility was poor due to dense smoke, adding to the confusion and fear.
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