In a tragic train mishap, a private coach in Tamil Nadu caught fire in the wee hours of August 26, killing 10 passengers and leaving many injured. This incident happened at Madurai railway station at around 5:15 am inside a private party coach. The train was parked at Madurai yard when a fire erupted on the coach. The adjacent coaches of the train didn’t face damages as efforts were taken to douse the fire immediately. Here’s why this incident happened.
Private Coach In Madurai Catches Fire After Cylinder Bursts
According to a report by India Today, there were 65 passengers from Lucknow on the private party coach of Punalur-Madurai Exp train no.16730. The private party coach was attached on August 25 at Nagercoil Junction. When the coach was parked at the yard, a few passengers illegally smuggled cooking gas cylinders into the coach. And then when they lit the gas to prepare tea and snacks, the entire cylinder burst aflame.
🚨 9 killed and 20 injured as parked tourist train catches fire near Madurai Railway Station
The Southern Railways said the passengers in a private party coach "illegally smuggled" a gas cylinder and this caused the fire.#madurai #TamilNadu #india #train #Fire pic.twitter.com/PXMVNul685
— VENANCE XLIV (@BillXliv) August 26, 2023
MS Sangeetha, Madurai District Collector, revealed to India Today that a private coach at Madurai railway station caught fire around 5:30 am. She stated that pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh were travelling on it. In her words, they lit the gas stove to prepare coffee and the cylinder blasted. They were able to retrieve 9 bodies with over 20 people were injured.
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Passengers Illegally Smuggled Cylinder For Cooking
On noticing the fire many passengers deboarded. Some of them got down on the platform. Fire service personnel were immediately alerted and they arrived by 5:45 am. The fire was put out by 7 a.m. Apart from the private party coach, no other coaches faced any damages. Indian Railways has announced ₹10 lakhs as ex-gratia to be given to the deceased.
10 dead, 20 injured in a fire in a train going from Lucknow to Rameswaram in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
May the Lord give place to the departed in His holy feet.
Om Shanti 🙏 #TamilNadu #madurai #TrainAccident #Lucknow #rameshwaram #ShivShakti #ArrestTriptaTyagi #TrumpMugShot pic.twitter.com/j366izQiBd— Suhan Raza (@SuhanRaza4) August 26, 2023
As per Jagran English, 55 people were rescued from the train. Fire and rescue services personnel doused the fire and removed the charred bodies from the blazing train. At the accident spot, rescuers found a bag of potatoes which indicates that passengers trying to cook food inside the train.
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When it comes to party coaches, people can book this through the IRCTC website. However, inflammable materials like gas cylinders are banned inside the coaches. The release states that such coaches are only for transportation purposes not for cooking.
Cover Image Courtesy: @Harshpatel1408/ X (formerly Twitter)