Tatanagar-Ernakulam train fire: Passenger killed as two AC coaches catch fire

Dubai: A 70-year-old man has died and more than 150 passengers narrowly escaped after fire tore through two air-conditioned coaches of the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Junction Super-Fast Express near Visakhapatnam in the early hours of Monday.

The deceased was identified as Chandrasekhar Sundar, a resident of Vijayawada. His body was recovered from the B1 coach after fire crews spent nearly two hours battling the blaze, which broke out as the train passed through Yelamanchili in Anakapalli district, about 66 kilometres from Visakhapatnam.

According to an IANS report, the alarm was raised at around 12.40am when passengers spotted flames in the moving train and pulled the emergency chain, forcing it to halt at Yelamanchili Railway Station. Railway staff immediately alerted the fire department, prompting a swift response.

A total of 82 passengers were travelling in the B1 coach and 75 in the M2 coach at the time of the incident. Passengers were safely evacuated, though their personal belongings inside the affected compartments were completely destroyed.

Anakapalli district Superintendent of Police Tuhin Sinha said the prompt action by fire services helped avert a larger disaster. Four fire engines were deployed to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to adjacent coaches or a goods train on a parallel track.

Both AC coaches were completely gutted and later detached from the train. The Super-Fast Express eventually resumed its journey toward Ernakulam after replacement coaches were arranged further along the route.

The fire disrupted rail traffic across the region, leaving nearly 2,000 passengers stranded and causing delays to several services, including the Godavari and Tirupati–Howrah Express trains. Rail officials said services not scheduled to stop at Yelamanchili were gradually returning to normal.

Forensic teams have been deployed to determine the cause of the fire, while the South Central Railway Safety Commissioner visited the site to inspect the damaged coaches alongside local police officials.