One dead as Tatanagar-Ernakulam express coaches catch fire in Andhra Pradesh

One person was killed after two coaches of the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express caught fire at Yalamanchili , about 66 km from Visakhapatnam , police said.

The fire was reported at 12:45 am on the Tatanagar‑Ernakulam Express. At the time, 82 passengers were in one affected coach and 76 in the other. The deceased, 70-year-old Chandrasekhar Sundaram , was found in the B1 coach. He was a resident of Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, and could not be rescued in time.

The railway staff acted swiftly , alerting the fire brigade and assisting passengers to safely deboard. The fire was extinguished promptly. The two damaged coaches, along with an additional AC III Tier coach (M1) detached as a precaution, and the train continued towards Ernakulam .

Passengers from the affected coaches were shifted to Samalkot Railway Station using bus services, where replacement coaches were attached.

Forensic and medical teams, along with the Commissioner of Railway Safety and senior officials from the South Central Railway (SCR), reached the site to investigate the cause of the fire and assess casualties. Preliminary investigations indicated that the blaze did not start from the usual electrical panel area but appeared to break out in the linen storage section of the coach, prompting further inquiry into the exact cause. Two forensic teams have been pressed into service to pinpoint what sparked the fire. The SCR has also set up helpline numbers to assist passengers and provide train running information.