Rajaji Government Hospital in Madurai received ten bodies and 20 injured passengers from a tourist train stationed on Bodi Lane near Madurai railway station in the early hours of Saturday. PTI reported, “Several were killed after a fire broke out in a tourist train parked on Bodi Lane near Madurai railway station in the wee hours of Saturday.” On the ‘X’ platform.

Madurai District Collector MS Sangeetha

According to the Madurai District Collector MS Sangeetha, Lucknow natives were traveling as pilgrims down South when they smuggled an illegal gas cylinder into the tourist train which set the train ablaze. “Around 5:30 am today, there was a fire in a coach halted here at Madurai railway station. There were pilgrims traveling from Uttar Pradesh in it. When they lit the gas stove to make coffee, the gas cylinder blasted. As of now, we have retrieved nine bodies,” PTI quoted Madurai District Collector.

B. Guganesan, Chief Public Relations Officer for Southern Railways stated that it was the passengers were a part of the private party coach where they illegally brought the cylinder with them. The officer further said that the coach was attached at Nagercoil Junction on Friday by Punalur-Madurai Express.

Madurai

The Southern Railways statement read, "This is a private party coach that was attached at Nagercoil Junction yesterday (Aug 25) by train no. 16730 (Punalur-Madurai Exp). The party coach was detached and kept at Madurai Stabling line. The passengers in the private party coach have illegally smuggled gas cylinder and this has caused the fire. Many passengers got out of the coach on noticing the fire. Some passengers had got down at the platform itself."

The Southern Railways notice also revealed, “The party coach had started the journey from Lucknow on August 17. They are scheduled to return to Chennai tomorrow… and return to Lucknow from there.”

The accident site was in shambles with the train blackened by the fire, the fire brigade assuaging the scene for further extraction of bodies and other processes important for further investigation, rescue patrol has begun its work reporting 20 injured recovered so far alongside 10 dead bodies charred by the fires, scattered items near the accident spot include the cylinder in question and a bag of potatoes, indicating attempts to cook food in the train.

Ex-gratia of Rs. 10 Lakh has been declared to be given to the families of the demised by the Southern Railways for their tragic passing.

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