14 hours ago
Fire breaks out in coaches of express trains near Tirupati; none injured
A fire broke out on the Hisar Express near Tirupati railway station in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, causing panic among passengers and disrupting train operations in the area. Meanwhile, another train (Rayalaseema Express), travelling from Rajasthan to Tirupati, saw flames quickly spread through one of its coaches, according to a tweet by ANI.
Railway staff acted promptly, and fire tenders were immediately sent to the Tirupati railway station yard. A nearby Vande Bharat train, running on a parallel track, reportedly stopped in time, preventing a more serious situation.
Coaches gutted, but no casualties
According to a report by NDTV, eyewitnesses said they saw thick smoke and flames coming from two coaches early in the morning. The fire soon intensified and completely destroyed the affected coaches. So far, no injuries have been reported as the coaches were reportedly empty at the time.
Fire and rescue teams responded swiftly. Several fire engines were involved, and it took nearly an hour to fully put out the flames. The exact reason behind the fire is yet to be confirmed. A full investigation is now underway.
Though there were no passengers on board the burnt coaches, the damage to property is significant. Efforts are on to clear the charred coaches from the tracks and resume normal services.
'No danger at this point'
A Srinivasa Perumal, Superintendent of Police, told NDTV: "Rescue teams have taken full control of the train. There is no danger to life at this point." Seema Aggarwal, chief of fire services, added: "Our teams have reached the spot and are extinguishing. Since it's diesel, it's a challenge. Additional teams have been sent."
Due to the fire, people in nearby areas were evacuated as a precaution. Meanwhile, train movement between Chennai and other regions has been hit due to the fire. The Southern Railways announced the cancellation of eight trains from Chennai and the diversion of five others.
In a separate incident on Sunday morning, a freight train carrying 45 tankers of crude oil caught fire near Egattur, close to Thiruvallur. The train was travelling from Ennore in Chennai to Mumbai when one of the tankers caught fire. The flames quickly spread to nearby tankers, resulting in a massive blaze.
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