Tamil Nadu police arrests five catering workers in Madurai train fire case

Police on Monday arrested five catering workers in connection with the train coach fire here, for illegal use of cooking gas cylinder inside the train compartment that resulted in casualties including the death of nine persons.

Nine people were killed and eight others injured when a fire broke out inside a stationary train compartment at the Madurai railway station on August 26. The deceased, who were bound for Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, had last week embarked from Lucknow on the pilgrimage with several others in a private party coach booked by their tour operator.

The train coach had 64 passengers including pilgrims, the tour organiser and five catering workers.

The workers travelled in the train together with a group of pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh and they were arrested following questioning by the Government Railway Police for over a day. The arrested men were produced before a court here which remanded them in judicial custody till September 11.

A GRP official told PTI that a case has been registered against the accused for causing the deaths of nine pilgrims (besides injuries to passengers) by their act (IPC section 304 Part-II culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and for their negligent conduct (IPC section 285).

Also, Section 164 of The Railways Act (unlawfully bringing dangerous goods) has been slapped against them for illegally storing and using cooking gas cylinder in a train compartment. The youngest of the accused is 19 years old, and two other men are in their mid 20s. Two others are aged 47 and 61, the official said.

Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, they were on a visit to pilgrim places in the southern parts of the country. Bodies of the victims, including that of the tour organiser, were taken to Uttar Pradesh on Sunday by flight.

Barring one pilgrim, who is being treated at a hospital here, all other survivors have reached their home districts in Uttar Pradesh, railway sources said. The survivors include seven persons who were treated for their injuries.

Commissioner of Railway Safety (Southern Circle) A M Chowdhary who commenced his inquiry into the fire accident on August 27 is continuing his probe and a report is expected to be submitted in a month.