Tragic Fire on Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express Claims One Life and Endangers Many

Fire Incident on Train Near Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: A tragic incident occurred early Monday when a fire erupted in two air-conditioned compartments of the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Junction Super-Fast Express, resulting in one fatality and over 150 passengers narrowly escaping harm, according to police reports.

The blaze ignited while the train was traveling through Yelamanchili in Anakapalli district, approximately 66 kilometers from Visakhapatnam.

A vigilant passenger noticed the flames and promptly pulled the emergency chain to halt the train at Yelamanchili Railway Station, alerting railway personnel who quickly notified the fire department.

Four fire engines arrived at the scene and worked for two hours to extinguish the flames.

Firefighters successfully contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to nearby compartments and a goods train on an adjacent track.

Unfortunately, both affected compartments were completely destroyed, and passengers lost all their belongings.

Anakapalli district Superintendent of Police Tuhin Sinha informed the media that they received the fire alert at 12:40 a.m.

He praised the swift response of the fire services, which helped avert a larger disaster, ensuring all passengers were evacuated safely.

At the time of the incident, there were 82 passengers in the B-1 coach and 75 in the M-2 coach.

The SP confirmed that a deceased individual was discovered in the B1 coach, later identified as 70-year-old Chandrasekhar Sundaram from Vijayawada, whose family has been notified.

The damaged coaches were detached from the train, which continued its journey to Ernakulam, where two replacement AC coaches were added.

Two forensic teams are currently investigating the cause of the fire, as stated by the police.

The South Central Railway Safety Commissioner also visited the site, inspecting the charred compartments alongside the SP.

This fire incident disrupted train operations along the route, causing delays for the Godavari and Tirupati-Howrah Express trains heading to Visakhapatnam.

Trains scheduled to stop at Yelamanchili are now being redirected to halt at Visakhapatnam.

Delays have also affected trains such as Puri-Tirupati, Shalimar-Cherlapalli, Visakhapatnam-Lingampalli, and Visakhapatnam-Guntur.

However, trains not scheduled to stop at Yelamanchili are continuing to operate on time.