Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express fire: 1 dead, two AC coaches gutted in Andhra Pradesh | VIDEO

Visakhapatnam: A 70-year-old man was killed, and hundreds of passengers were forced to flee for their lives early Monday when a massive fire engulfed two air-conditioned coaches of the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express in Andhra Pradesh.

The blaze broke out at approximately 1:30 a.m. as the Ernakulam-bound train was passing through the Duvvada-Yelamanchili section. According to the railway police, the fire originated in the B1 and M2 AC coaches, situated just behind the pantry car.

Loco pilots noticed the flames near a railway point close to Yelamanchili and immediately brought the train to a halt. However, before emergency responders could arrive, the fire spread rapidly, completely gutting both compartments and reducing them to charred shells.

Railway officials confirmed that Chandrasekhar Sundar, a resident of Vijayawada, was trapped inside the B1 coach and died from severe burn injuries. While all other passengers were reported safe, the incident sparked widespread panic as thick smoke filled the cars, forcing travellers to scramble onto the station platforms in the dark.

Preliminary reports suggest the fire may have been triggered by overheating brakes on the B1 coach after the train departed Anakapalli, leading to sparks and flames near Narsingaballi. Firefighting units from Anakapalli, Yelamanchili, and Nakkapalli battled the blaze for several hours to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the train.

Though the remaining coaches were eventually detached and cleared to resume the journey, arriving at Anakapalli nearly four hours behind schedule, the personal belongings of passengers in the affected coaches were entirely destroyed.

Senior railway officials arrived at the scene to oversee relief measures and have launched a formal inquiry into the cause of the disaster. Ambulances were stationed at the site as a precaution, and stranded passengers were forced to wait for hours in the cold before alternative arrangements were finalised.

The Railways have also put out helpline numbers following the incident:

Elamanchili: 7815909386

Anakapalle: 7569305669

Tuni: 7815909479

Samalkot: 7382629990

Rajahmundry: 088-32420541, 088-32420543

Eluru: 7569305268

Vijayawada: 0866-2575167

With inputs from IANS