Fire Erupts on Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express: Helplines Established for Affected Passengers

Incident Overview

Visakhapatnam: Following a fire incident on the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express in Yelamanchili, Andhra Pradesh, the Railways have established helpline numbers to assist passengers and provide updates on train operations.

The South Central Railway (SCR) has released several helpline numbers: Yelamanchili – 7815909386, Anakapalli – 7569305669, Tuni – 7815909479, Samalkot – 7382629990, Rajahmundry – 088 – 32420541, 088 – 32420543, Eluru – 7569305268, and Vijayawada – 0866 – 2575167.

The fire broke out around 12:45 a.m. in Train No. 18189 as it approached Yelamanchili Railway Station, affecting the B1 and M2 coaches.

Railway personnel acted quickly, notifying the Fire Brigade and assisting passengers in evacuating the train. The fire was extinguished promptly.

Officials reported that the damaged coaches were detached, and an additional AC III Tier Coach (M1) was removed as a safety measure.

The remaining train is being relocated to Samalkot Railway Station, where three empty coaches will be added to the formation.

Passengers from the affected coaches are being transported to Samalkot Railway Station via bus services.

Senior officials, including the Commissioner of Railway Safety and the General Manager of South Central Railway, are on-site to oversee the situation.

A forensic and medical team is also being dispatched to investigate the cause of the fire and assess any casualties.

Local police reported the discovery of a deceased passenger in one of the damaged coaches, identified as 70-year-old Chandrsekhar Sundaram from Vijayawada.

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