ANANTPUR (AP): Twenty-three people, including two children, were killed and 13 injured when a fire swept through an AC coach of the Bangalore-Nanded Express in the district in the wee hours today.
The fire broke out at 3:30 AM in the B1 coach packed with 64 passengers at Kothacheravu Railway Station.
“Rescue operations are underway. 23 persons including two children were charred to death in the accident,” District Collector, Anantapur, Lokesh Kumar told reporters.
A majority of the passengers were sleeping when the fire broke out.
SP of Guntakal Railway Police Janardhan said 13 people were injured in the mishap and have been shifted to various hospitals in Anantpur.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed shock and grief over the loss of lives in the mishap.
He also spoke to Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and inquired about the rescue and relief work being carried out at the accident site.
Describing the incident as “tragic” and “most unfortunate”, Kharge ordered an enquiry into the incident by Commissioner of Railway Safety.
The Railway Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh in case of grievous injuries and Rs 50,000 for simple injuries.
He has also asked senior railway officials such as Member Electrical and Director General Health to rush to the spot.
Chairman, Railway Board, Arunendra Kumar said the reason behind the accident is yet to be ascertained.
However, prima facie there could be two reasons – one is short circuit and the other presence of inflammable material, he said.
The magnitude of the accident suggests that short circuit was unlikely, he said.
Asked whether it could be inflammable material, he said it could be and the inquiry would go into it. . Kharge told PTI that the AC coach had 67 passengers on board, of which 23 were trapped in the fire, while others managed to alight as the attendant noticed smoke and the train was stopped.
Quoting preliminary reports from Railway officials present at the spot, he said, “Short circuit could have caused the fire” but the inquiry would reveal the exact cause.
The Railway Board Chairman said forensic experts have been called from Bangalore and Hyderabad to examine the site.
The Railway Minister and the Railway Board Chairman are rushing to the site.
The affected coach has been detached and the train has resumed its onward journey.
Senior Railway officials have rushed to the spot and relief and medical team have been pressed into service, the collector said. The train had left Bangalore at 10:45 PM last night with a composition of 16 coaches, out of which 1 AC-3 Tier Coach (B-1), fourth from the engine, caught fire near Sri Sathyasai Prashanthinilayam around 3.45 AM, South Western Railway said.
The affected coach was carrying 65 passengers, it said.
Eight injured passengers were taken for medical treatment, of which three have been discharged and five have been admitted to Anantpur Hospital, it said in a statement.
According to railway officials, the bodies of passengers are being shifted from the accident spot to Victoria Hospital in Bangalore.
Kharge has instructed Railway officials to provide best treatment for the affected passengers, the statement said.
As per the directions of the Railway Minister, the officers of Railway Board, Member Electrical, Kul Bhushan, and Director General, Health are rushing to the accident spot from Delhi.
The Railways have requested relatives not to go to the accident site and instead come to Victoria Hospital for identification of bodies.–PTI
