Madurai - A tragic incident unfolded during the early hours of Saturday, claiming the lives of at least 10 individuals as a fire erupted within a stationary train compartment at Madurai railway station. The incident occurred aboard the Bharat Gaurav tourist train, which was on its journey from Lucknow to Rameswaram.
According to reports, the train came to a halt approximately 1 kilometer away from Madurai railway station. Officials from the Southern Railway, cited by PTI, revealed that the cause of the fire was an "illegal gas cylinder."
Initial investigations suggest that the fire originated from cooking activities involving a gas cylinder by passengers on the train, believed to be devotees. The flames started in one compartment and rapidly spread to adjacent ones, causing panic among passengers who attempted to evacuate the coaches.
Reports mentioned that eight individuals lost their lives in the fire within the train compartment, as stated by Madurai district collector M S Sangeetha, who rushed to the scene. Furthermore, around 20 people with injuries were admitted to a hospital for medical treatment.
Personnel from the police, fire and rescue services, as well as railway staff, worked together to extinguish the fire and retrieve the charred remains from the compartment. The fire began at 5:15 am on Saturday, and firefighters managed to control the blaze by 7:15 am, according to a statement from the Southern Railway.
The train compartment in question was a private party coach that had been attached to the train no. 16730 (Punalur-Madurai Express) at Nagercoil Junction the previous day. It had been detached and parked at the Madurai Stabling line. Investigations revealed that passengers aboard the private party coach had unlawfully brought a gas cylinder on board, resulting in the fire. Some passengers had managed to disembark upon noticing the fire, and a few alighted directly on the platform.
The coach's journey had begun on August 17 from Lucknow and was scheduled to return to Chennai the next day before heading back to Lucknow. The accident spot contained remnants including a gas cylinder and a bag of potatoes, hinting at attempts to cook food.
While anyone can book a party coach through the IRCTC portal, inflammable materials such as gas cylinders are prohibited. The coaches are intended solely for transportation purposes. Senior officials were en route to the scene in response to the incident.