32 killed in Andhra train fire

Minister for Small Scale Industries and Khadi Gollapali Surya Rao, who was also in the train, escaped unhurt.

The fire has once again belied claims of the Indian Railways of having an improved fire safety system in place following the Samjhauta Express blasts in February 2007.

As the train was in motion, the fire quickly spread to four other bogies and at least 50 people suffered burns. An alert RPF constable who saw fire coming out from a wiring board, immediately pulled the emergency stop chain.

Three physically-challenged persons, whose bodies were recovered by the rescue team, could have been alive had they not shifted to S-10 from their unreserved compartment minutes before the fire started. The police said several persons died of suffocation. The body of one M Bhagya Lakshmi was found in a sitting position in the S-10 coach. Her relatives said she was returning to Rajamundhry from Hyderabad after meeting her son.

South Central Railway officials rushed an accident relief train to the accident site from Secunderabad, the headquarters of the South Central Railway. But fire and other rescue teams from Warangal, Secunderabad, Kazipet and Vijayawada could not reach the site for close to three hours. South Central Railway Chief PRO P Krishniah said they suspected a short-circuit to have caused the fire.

While the Railway Ministry lost no time in announcing a forensic examination of the burnt coaches, besides the statutory inquiry to be conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety CRS, senior officials in the Railway Board told The Indian Express that preliminary investigation suggested that the fire may have been caused due to large amounts of inflammable material like kerosene or liquor kept on board.

8220;The fire was reported between Kesamudram and Tadalapusalapalli stations which are 6 km apart. Nothing unusual was noticed when the train crossed the Kesamudram station. Since the train halted almost midway, and was traveling at 100 kmph, the fire spread within 2-3 minutes. A fire resulting from short-circuit generally takes more time than that,8221; a senior Railways official said.

8220;Also, the flames were so high that they burnt the overhead electricity OHE wires. This indicates presence of inflammable material on board,8221; the official added.

Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said: 8220;No proof of sabotage or use of explosive has come to our notice so far. The report of the inquiry will establish the cause of the fire.8221; He announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased along with a job in the Railways and Rs 1 lakh to the grievously injured.