Tamil Nadu train fire: 10 from Lucknow killed, over 20 injured in Madurai

The tragic event unfolded at approximately 5:15 AM. Fire and rescue services, along with the railway staff and police, worked tirelessly to control the blaze. The fire service personnel arrived at the scene within half an hour and managed to successfully extinguish the flames by 7:15 AM. According to authorities, the fire started when a passenger ignited a gas burner to prepare coffee.

According to the Southern Railway's official release, the private party coach had been attached to train no. 16730 (Punalur-Madurai Express) at Nagercoil Junction on August 25. The coach was subsequently detached and positioned at the Madurai Stabling line.

According to the statement, the party coach left Lucknow on August 17 with plans to go to Chennai on Sunday before returning to Lucknow.

“While the coach was stabled/parked, some members of the party in the private party coach were using the illegally smuggled cooking gas cylinder unauthorisedly for preparing tea/snacks, which caused the fire in the stabled/parked coach. Most of the passengers could get out of the coach upon noticing the fire. Some passengers had already got down at the platform before the detachment of the coach,” the release stated.

Southern Railway officials have set up two helpline numbers, 9360552608 and 8015681915, to provide information related to the fire incident and to assist those affected by the tragedy.