One person died in a fire on the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express in Andhra Pradesh

Guwahati: A 70-year-old man died and several passengers narrowly escaped after a fire broke out in two AC coaches of the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express (train number 18189) at Duvvada in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalle district on Monday morning, police said.
The fire broke out around 1:30 am after the train, which was travelling from Tatanagar to Ernakulam via Visakhapatnam, crossed Duvvada and also engulfed the B1 and M2 AC coaches parked next to the pantry car.
Railway officials said the fire was first noticed by loco pilots near a railway point near Yelamanchili. The train was immediately stopped at the station, but the fire spread rapidly, completely engulfing both coaches before the fire brigade could arrive.
Dense smoke inside the coaches caused panic among passengers, many of whom fled to the platform due to poor visibility.
Officials confirmed that all passengers, except one, were safe.
The deceased, Chandrashekhar Sundar (70) of Vijayawada, was trapped in the B1 AC coach and died of burns.
Railway sources stated that overheating of the brakes in the B1 AC coach after the train left Anakapalli may have sparked the fire.
Fire teams from Anakapalli, Elamanchili, and Nakkapalli worked for hours to control the fire, but all the luggage in both coaches was destroyed.
Senior railway officials visited the scene and ambulances were deployed as a precaution. Passengers had to wait at the station for several hours on a cold night.
Rail traffic on the Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada route was halted for some time, delaying several trains.
After 3:30 a.m., the burned coaches were removed, and passengers from the affected coaches were transferred to the remaining coaches. Three APSRTC buses were used to transport the passengers to Samarlakota, where two replacement AC coaches were installed, allowing the Tata-Ernakulam Express to continue its journey.
Several trains from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada were delayed, and operations at Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Tuni stations were briefly halted.
Railway officials have ordered a detailed investigation to determine the cause of the fire and identify any possible safety lapses.