Madurai Train Fire: In a devastating incident, a fire engulfed a tourist coach of a train travelling from Lucknow to Rameswaram, resulting in 9 tragic deaths and leaving 20 others injured. The incident occurred near the Madurai Railway Station.
According to railway officials in Madurai, the ill-fated train was en route to Rameswaram from Lucknow when a fire erupted within the tourist coach.
The blaze claimed the lives of 9 passengers and caused injuries to 20 individuals. In response to this heart-wrenching situation, the railway authorities have announced compensation of ₹10 lakh for the families of each deceased victim.
The private party coach had embarked on its journey from Lucknow on August 17, with its destination set for Chennai.
After reaching Chennai, the plan was to return to Lucknow. However, tragedy struck as the coach caught fire at approximately 5:15 AM when the train was stationed at the Madurai Yard Junction.
Preliminary investigations suggest that some passengers had illicitly carried gas cylinders into the coach, leading to the outbreak of the fire.
In light of this incident, Madurai Junction has released helpline numbers for any assistance related to the fire – 9360552608 and 8015681915.
According to reports, the private coach in question was carrying 65 passengers from Lucknow. The train, identified as Train Number 16730 (Madurai-Punalur Express), arrived in Madurai at 3:47 AM this morning.
The privately booked coach had been parked, and some passengers on board began using unauthorized cooking gas cylinders to prepare tea and breakfast.
This illicit activity led to a fire breaking out within the coach. Upon receiving information about the fire, most of the passengers swiftly evacuated the coach.
As per railway officials, the station authorities at Madurai Yard received the distress call about the fire on August 26th, 2023, at 5:15 AM.
The fire service was immediately alerted, and fire tenders arrived at the scene by 5:45 AM. The fire was finally extinguished at 7:15 AM.
Fortunately, there were no reports of any damage to other coaches, and this private party coach was detached and placed on the Madurai Stabling Line for further investigation.