Fire breaks out in Tata-Ernakulam Express in AP; 1 passenger dies

Hyderabad: A major fire broke out onboard the Tata–Ernakulam (18189) Express in the wee hours of Monday, December 29, shortly after the train passed through Duvvada in Visakhapatnam district.

The incident occurred around 1:30 am, when flames erupted in the pantry car and quickly spread to the adjacent B1 and M2 AC coaches.

According to reports, loco pilots noticed smoke near Elamanchili and halted the train at the nearest station. Before fire services could arrive, the blaze had engulfed the two coaches, reducing them to ashes.

Panic spread among passengers, many of whom rushed out of the compartments and onto the platform amid thick smoke and confusion.

The train, which reached Anakapalli nearly four hours late, reportedly caught fire again near Narsingaballi, after brake jamming in the B1 coach caused sparks.

Firefighting efforts and casualty

Firefighters from Anakapalli, Elamanchili, and Nakkapalli rushed to the spot and worked for several hours to extinguish the flames. All belongings in the burnt coaches were destroyed. Senior railway officials reached the scene to assess the situation, while ambulances were deployed as a precaution.

Amid freezing winter conditions, around 2,000 passengers were stranded at the station until alternative arrangements were made. The Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada route was temporarily closed to traffic due to the incident.

By 3:30 am, railway authorities detached the burnt coaches and accommodated the affected passengers in the remaining compartments before allowing the train to proceed.

One passenger killed

Officials confirmed that one person died in the fire. The victim was identified as Chandrashekhar Sundar, aged 70, a resident of Vijayawada, who was found charred in the B1 coach. Following the incident, passengers from the gutted coaches were transported to Samarlakota station in three RTC buses.

Two replacement AC coaches were attached there to continue the journey toward Ernakulam.

A senior police official told PTI that they received information about the fire at 12:45 am. The official told reporters that there were 82 passengers in one of the affected coaches and 76 in another when the train caught fire. 

Two forensic teams are working to ascertain the cause of the fire, the police official said.

Train services disrupted

The fire severely disrupted train traffic between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, causing significant delays. Several trains were halted at Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, and Tuni stations until the track was cleared and normal operations restored.