One Dead in Fire on Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express in Andhra Pradesh

A 70-year-old passenger was killed after a fierce fire engulfed two air-conditioned coaches of the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express (Train No. 18189) in the early hours of Monday near Elamanchili railway station in Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh.

The blaze broke out around 12:45-1:30 am while the train, en route from Tatanagar (Jamshedpur) in Jharkhand to Ernakulam in Kerala, was passing through the area. The alert loco pilot spotted flames in the B1 coach and immediately halted the train, enabling quick evacuation of most passengers amid panic and confusion.

The fire, which reportedly started in the B1 AC coach, rapidly spread to an adjacent coach (variously reported as B2 or M2). As a precautionary measure, the two severely damaged coaches—completely gutted in the incident—along with another nearby coach were detached to prevent further spread.

Authorities confirmed 82 passengers in one affected coach and around 75-76 in the other. Tragically, the charred body of Chandrasekhar Sundaram (also spelled Chandrsekhar Sundaram), a resident of Vijayawada, was recovered from the B1 coach after the flames were extinguished.

All remaining passengers were reported safe. Affected travellers were transported via special buses to Samalkot station, where replacement AC coaches were attached, allowing the train to resume its journey to Ernakulam.

The incident caused temporary disruptions to rail traffic on the Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada route, with several trains delayed or halted at stations like Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, and Tuni.

Railway officials have launched a thorough investigation, including forensic analysis, to determine the exact cause of the fire. Helplines were promptly set up across multiple stations to assist passengers and provide updates.