Nine killed in Madurai train fire; passengers ‘illegally smuggled gas cylinder’, say officials

MADURAI: Nine passengers travelling from Uttar Pradesh were killed and over 50 persons were injured after a fire broke out inside a stationary train compartment near the Madurai railway station in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.

According to the Southern Railway, the fire was triggered by an “illegally smuggled gas cylinder”. An ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh has been announced for the kin of the deceased, Southern Railway announced today.

A ‘private party coach’ was attached at Nagercoil Junction on August 25 to Train No. 16730, the Punalur-Madurai Express, which began its journey from Lucknow on August 17 and had arrived at Madurai at 3.47 am today. The party coach was detached and kept at the Madurai stabling line where the fire broke out at 5.15 am, according to a statement by Southern Railway.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: Fire reported in private/individual coach at Madurai yard at 5:15 am today in Punalur-Madurai Express. Fire services have arrived and put off the fire and no damage has caused to another coaches. The passengers have allegedly smuggled gas cylinder that caused… pic.twitter.com/5H7wQeGu93

— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023

“Early today morning at 5.30 am, there was a fire accident in a coach which was halted at the Madurai railway station…They were pilgrims and were travelling from Uttar Pradesh”, MS Sangeetha, Madurai District Collector said.

“This morning, when they tried to make coffee and tried to light the gas stove, there was a cylinder blast. A total of 55 people have been rescued and as of now, we have retrieved nine bodies…Rescue operation is under way…”, the Madurai District Collector said.

B Guganesan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Southern Railway, in an official statement, said the fire broke out at 5. 15 am in a private party coach at the Madurai yard and fire service which was informed arrived by 5.45 am and the blaze was put out by 7.15 am. There was no damage to any other coaches.

According to the release by the Railways, “The passengers in the private party coach had illegally smuggled gas cylinder and this caused the fire. Many passengers had got out of the coach on noticing the fire. Some passengers had got down at platform itself”.

The ‘party coach’ was scheduled to return to Chennai tomorrow by Train No. 16824, the Kollam-Chennai Egmore Ananthapuri Express and then return to Lucknow from there.

According to the Railways, any individual can book a party coach using the IRCTC portal. They are not allowed to carry any inflammable material like gas cylinder. The coach is to used only for transportation purposes.

Several senior officials like the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM), and other divisional officer have reached the site of the mishap. (ANI)