<p>Hyderabad: A 70-year-old passenger -- Chandrasekhar Sundar --<strong> </strong>was burnt alive after being unable to deboard from the train during a fire that broke out on the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express near Elamanchili in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district early on Monday. </p><p>The tragedy occurred even as fellow passengers managed a swift evacuation from the burning coaches.</p>.One dead, several passengers escape after two coaches of Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express catch fire in Andhra Pradesh.<p>Sundar, a resident of Vijayawada, was returning home after visiting his daughter in Visakhapatnam. Although most passengers escaped unhurt, Sundar failed to get down in time and was trapped inside the B1 AC coach, which went up in flames. Rescue teams, who initially believed everyone had been evacuated, discovered his charred remains only after dousing the fire and inspecting the gutted compartment.</p><p>Officials said a bundle of burnt currency notes worth nearly Rs 5 lakh and gold ornaments were recovered from Sundar’s belongings. His daughter was inconsolable upon seeing her father’s remains, a railway official said.</p><p>Eyewitnesses recounted that before firefighters arrived, the blaze had already spread through both B1 and M2 coaches, reducing them to ashes. Luggage belonging to all passengers in the affected coaches was completely destroyed. The train reached Anakapalle four hours behind schedule.</p><p>After resuming its journey, sparks were reported near Narsingapalli, forcing emergency halt. Firefighters from Anakapalle, Elamanchili, and Nakkapalli rushed to the spot and battled the flames for several hours before bringing them under control. More than 2,000 passengers were stranded at Elamanchili station in the chilly early hours, leading to delays on the Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada route. One of the passengers, who boarded the train at Anakapalle and witnessed the incident, shared his account.</p><p><br>“I had just boarded at Anakapalle to travel to Sriperumbudur and couldn’t sleep. I noticed a stack of linen near the entrance of the coach. Moments later, sparks appeared, and the attendant began shouting ‘fire’ and urging everyone to get off. I ran and pulled the emergency chain, and the train stopped immediately. Thick smoke filled the coach, and everyone panicked. Many couldn’t even take their luggage out. It was a nightmarish experience,” one of the passengers recollected.</p><p>Home Minister Vangaapudi Anita expressed grief over the passenger’s death and instructed officials to ensure that train operations resume smoothly.</p><p>Two Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams have begun investigating the cause of the fire. “We have transported the rescued passengers to the next station by buses,” said Anakapalle District Collector Vijaya Krishnan.</p>
<p>Hyderabad: A 70-year-old passenger -- Chandrasekhar Sundar --<strong> </strong>was burnt alive after being unable to deboard from the train during a fire that broke out on the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express near Elamanchili in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district early on Monday. </p><p>The tragedy occurred even as fellow passengers managed a swift evacuation from the burning coaches.</p>.One dead, several passengers escape after two coaches of Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express catch fire in Andhra Pradesh.<p>Sundar, a resident of Vijayawada, was returning home after visiting his daughter in Visakhapatnam. Although most passengers escaped unhurt, Sundar failed to get down in time and was trapped inside the B1 AC coach, which went up in flames. Rescue teams, who initially believed everyone had been evacuated, discovered his charred remains only after dousing the fire and inspecting the gutted compartment.</p><p>Officials said a bundle of burnt currency notes worth nearly Rs 5 lakh and gold ornaments were recovered from Sundar’s belongings. His daughter was inconsolable upon seeing her father’s remains, a railway official said.</p><p>Eyewitnesses recounted that before firefighters arrived, the blaze had already spread through both B1 and M2 coaches, reducing them to ashes. Luggage belonging to all passengers in the affected coaches was completely destroyed. The train reached Anakapalle four hours behind schedule.</p><p>After resuming its journey, sparks were reported near Narsingapalli, forcing emergency halt. Firefighters from Anakapalle, Elamanchili, and Nakkapalli rushed to the spot and battled the flames for several hours before bringing them under control. More than 2,000 passengers were stranded at Elamanchili station in the chilly early hours, leading to delays on the Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada route. One of the passengers, who boarded the train at Anakapalle and witnessed the incident, shared his account.</p><p><br>“I had just boarded at Anakapalle to travel to Sriperumbudur and couldn’t sleep. I noticed a stack of linen near the entrance of the coach. Moments later, sparks appeared, and the attendant began shouting ‘fire’ and urging everyone to get off. I ran and pulled the emergency chain, and the train stopped immediately. Thick smoke filled the coach, and everyone panicked. Many couldn’t even take their luggage out. It was a nightmarish experience,” one of the passengers recollected.</p><p>Home Minister Vangaapudi Anita expressed grief over the passenger’s death and instructed officials to ensure that train operations resume smoothly.</p><p>Two Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams have begun investigating the cause of the fire. “We have transported the rescued passengers to the next station by buses,” said Anakapalle District Collector Vijaya Krishnan.</p>