Ten from UP killed in fire in train
According to the sources, at least 20 other pilgrims sustained injuries in the fire that engulfed one of the coaches of the train early in the morning. The injured were admitted to the hospital.
In a tragic incident, as many as ten devotees belonging to different parts of Uttar Pradesh were charred to death in a major fire in a coach train at Madurai railway station in Tamil Nadu in the wee hours of Saturday.
According to the sources, at least 20 other pilgrims sustained injuries in the fire that engulfed one of the coaches of the train early in the morning. The injured were admitted to the hospital.
Although it was not immediately clear what caused the fire, reports suggested that it might have been caused by a gas cylinder that was being illegally carried by some passengers in the train.
Railway officials said that the fire brigade personnel, who managed to douse the flames, later recovered ten charred bodies from the coach.
“Around 5:30 am today, there was a 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,’’ Madurai District Collector M S Sangeetha as saying.
Railway officials said the passengers were in a “private party coach” that started on August 17 from Lucknow. They were scheduled to return to Chennai, Tamil Nadu's capital on August 27 before heading back to Lucknow.
According to the officials, the passengers were from Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, and Hardoi districts of UP.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the death of ten devotees from the state and announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs two lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. The Railways have also announced compensation.
Helpline numbers have been announced to enable the kin of the passengers to contact the officials about their well-being. Railway officials were also trying to contact the relatives of the passengers.
