MADURAI: Eight persons died in a fire mishap that took place in Madurai Railway station today morning- on August 26th 2023. The Southern Railway had given details of how the train coach caught fire that resulted in eight casualties and injuring seven persons in that blaze.
According to an urgent press release issued by railway authorities, the fire was reported in a private party coach in Madurai yard at 5.15 am today- August 26th 2023, by a station official. This is a private party coach that was attached at Nagercoil Junction yesterday for Train No.16730 (Punalur-Madurai Exp). It arrived at Madurai today at 3.47 am. The party coach was detached and kept at stabling line.
Railway authorities said that the passengers in that private party coach have illegally brought gas cylinder and that had resulted in the fire mishap. “Many passengers had got out of the coach on noticing the fire while some passengers had got down earlier at the platform itself before the coach was taken to the yard. The party coach passengers had started journey from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh on 17th August 2023. They are scheduled to return to Chennai tomorrow by Train Number 16824 Kollam-Chennai Egmore Ananthapuri Express, and return to Lucknow from there,” the press release received from Southern Railway has informed.
Any individual can book a party coach in trains using the ITCTC portal, but not allowed to carry any inflammable material like gas cylinder. “The coach is to be used for transportation purpose. Gas cylinders, cooking etc are not allowed. The fire accident of train coach at Madurai railway station today is because gas cylinder was carried by the passengers,” the railway officials said.
Top officials of the Southern Railway including General Manager and Additional General Manager are rushing to the fire accident site in Madurai while senior railway officials- Divisional Railway Manager, ADRM and other are monitoring the situation. An ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakhs has been announced to the families of deceased. Those who were injured in today’s fire mishap have been rushed to hospital.
MINISTER AND COLLECTOR MEETS THE INJURED:
Minister P.Moorthy and Madurai District Collector M.S.Sangeetha immediately went to the railway hospital in Madurai where the injured seven persons have been rushed for treatment. They also went to the fire accident spot.
