Bangalore: A fire broke out in a coach of the Nanded-Bangalore Express near the Kothacheruvu railway station in Anantapuram district of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning around 3:30 AM which cause 23 people died and several others were injured.
An eyewitness in train said that the accident took place when they were sleeping while somebody noticed smoke in the B1 AC coach and pulled the emergency chain to stop the train
12 injured passengers were being treated in hospitals in Dharmavaram, Puttaparthi and Anantapur.
A spokesperson for South Western Railways, CS Gupta had confirmed 15 deaths and said casualties could rise. Gupta said most passengers seemed to have choked to death in the smoke that engulfed the coach.
The train had left Bangalore at 10:45 pm on Friday and was headed for Nanded. It had about 64 passengers, mostly from Karnataka, on board. The fire broke out when the train was near the Prasanthi Nilayam ashram.
Additional divisional railway manager Sananda Aruna said that the fire was doused but identifying the dead would take time because the passenger lists were burnt.
Andhra Pradesh state revenue minister Raghuveera Reddy said, “It is a frightening scene inside the coach. Many are charred, beyond recognition, to death.”
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has directed Railways and state government authorities to extend all possible help to the victims in rescue and relief operations.
Railway Minister M Mallikarjun Kharge had announced a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for the dead and Rs. 50,000 for the injured.
Helpline numbers
Bangalore: 08022354108, 08022259271, 08022156554, 08022156553
Railways: 9731666863
Bureau Report
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