At least 9 dead after fire breaks out in tourist train near Madurai station; Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia announced

A fire broke out in a tourist coach of a train that was en route from Lucknow to Rameshwaram near Madurai railway station, leaving nine people dead. Preliminary information indicates that the fire originated due to cooking activities involving a gas cylinder by devotees aboard the train.

At least 9 people lost their lives while 20 others were injured after a fire broke out in the Bharat Gaurav tourist train, which was en route from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh to Rameswaram. The train came to a stop around 1 km away from Madurai railway station. While the coach was parked at the yard, some passengers reportedly used illegally smuggled cooking gas cylinders to prepare tea and snacks, thus, giving way to the fire.  

According to the details, as many as 65 passengers from Lucknow were onboard the coach, which was engulfed in flames. 

“Around 5:30 am today, there was fire in a coach halted here at Madurai railway station. There were pilgrims travelling from Uttar Pradesh in it. When they lit the gas stove to make coffee, the gas cylinder blasted. As of now, we have retrieved nine bodies,” PTI quoted Madurai District Collector MS Sangeetha as saying.

The adjacent coaches of the train did not suffer any damage as the fire tenders were immediately called in and the blaze was doused by nearly 7 am. 

In a statement, B. Guganesan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Southern Railway, said that the people snuck in a gas cylinder into the train illegally, which started the fire. The official said that the coach was attached at Nagercoil Junction on Friday by Punalur -Madurai Express and was detached after arriving at Madurai.

Railway officers including the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM), and other divisional officers reached the site of the accident to inspect the situation.