Madurai train fire: nine dead, several injured after gas cylinder blasts
Some passengers in the private party coach illegally smuggled a gas cylinder, which later became the cause of the fire
Updated: Aug 26th, 2023
At least nine passengers lost their lives and 20 others sustained injuries after a massive fire broke out on a Rameswaram-bound train's coach today at 5.15 a.m. near Madurai.
The social media handle of Southern Railway announced that the fire accident was reported in a private party tourist coach in Madurai yard at 5.15 a.m. today.
According to Southern Railway, the fire was put off at 7.15 a.m. and that senior railway officials had reached the site.
What happened at Madurai yard?
Some passengers in the private party coach or individual coach had illegally smuggled a gas cylinder, which has been identified as the cause of the fire. According to Indian railways, no other coaches were damaged in the incident.
Many passengers managed to get out of the coach after noticing the fire, while some of them got off on the platform itself.
Six victims were pilgrims
The passengers arrived by train no 16730 (Punalur-Madurai Express), which reached Madurai at 3.47 a.m. The coach was attached at Nagercoil junction on Aug 25.
The private party coach had begun its journey from Lucknow on Aug 17 and was scheduled to reach Chennai by Aug 27 and then proceed to Lucknow.
The six victims from Uttar Pradesh were on a pilgrimage tour to Rameswaram, the sources added.
The mishap occurred when the train was stationed at a yard, one kilometre out of the Madurai railway station and passengers were about to leave for the Meenakshi temple for darshan.
Railways instructed
The Indian railway also informed, “Any individual can book a party coach using the IRCTC portal, and they are not allowed to carry any inflammable material like gas cylinders. The coach is to be used only for transportation purposes.”
(With inputs from IANS)
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