A tragic fire incident occurred in the early hours of Monday when two air-conditioned coaches of the Tata Nagar–Ernakulam Express caught fire near Duvvada in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district. Police said a 70-year-old man was charred to death, while several other passengers managed to escape safely.

The train, numbered 18189, was travelling from Tatanagar to Ernakulam via the Visakhapatnam district. According to initial reports, the fire broke out around 1.30 am shortly after the train crossed Duvvada.

Flames engulf two AC coaches

Officials said flames erupted in the B1 and M2 AC coaches, which were positioned next to the pantry car. A railway police official explained that loco pilots first noticed the fire near a railway point close to Yelamanchili.

The train was immediately stopped at the station. However, before fire engines could reach the spot, the blaze spread quickly and completely gutted both AC coaches.

Panic as smoke fills compartments

As thick smoke filled the coaches, passengers panicked and rushed out. Many passengers were confused and unsure about what was happening. Eyewitnesses said visibility was very poor because of dense smoke, which added to fear and chaos on the platforms.

Railway authorities later confirmed that all other passengers were safe, which brought some relief after the incident.

Elderly passenger loses life

Officials confirmed that one passenger died in the fire. The victim was identified as Chandrasekhar Sundar (70), a resident of Vijayawada. He was reportedly trapped inside the B1 AC coach and died due to severe burns.

Train delayed, cause under investigation

The Tata–Ernakulam Express eventually reached Anakapalli nearly four hours late. Railway sources said that after the train left Anakapalli, sparks and flames were noticed again near Narsingaballi. Preliminary information suggested that the brakes of the B1 AC coach may have overheated and caught fire.

Firefighters battle blaze for hours

Firefighting teams from Anakapalli, Elamanchili, and Nakkapalli rushed to the site and worked for several hours to control the fire. Despite their efforts, all passenger belongings inside the two affected coaches were completely destroyed.

Senior railway officials arrived at the station to assess the situation. Ambulances were kept on standby as a safety measure. In the cold night, hundreds of passengers were forced to wait at the station for several hours.

Rail traffic disrupted on busy route

Due to the accident, rail traffic on the Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada route was temporarily suspended. This led to widespread delays, with several trains halted at Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, and Tuni stations.

After 3.30 am, railway staff removed the burnt coaches and began rearranging passengers from the damaged compartments into other coaches.

Passengers shifted, journey resumes

Passengers from the two burnt coaches were shifted to Samarlakota using three APSRTC buses. At Samarlakota, railway authorities attached two replacement AC coaches to the train. The Tata–Ernakulam Express was then prepared to continue its journey towards Ernakulam.

Probe ordered into fire incident

Railway officials have ordered a detailed inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire. The investigation will also examine whether there were any safety lapses that led to the deadly incident.