A devastating fire ripped through an AC coach of the Bangalore-Nanded Express train, charring to death 26 people, including two children, in sleep and leaving 13 others injured in the wee hours today in the district.
The fire broke out in the AC 3-tier coach B-1, fourth from the engine, near Sri Satya Sai Prashanti Nilayam Railway station, about 170 km northeast of Bangalore, at 3.45 am when most of the passengers were fast asleep.
There were 65 passengers in this coach, many of whom managed to jump out or escape by breaking open the window panes of the toilet cabins, Railway and police officials said.
After noticing the fire, the driver stopped the train near Kothacheruvu station and the ill-fated coach was detached, preventing the fire from spreading.
According to survivors, they woke up to the "burning sensation" and screams of "fire fire" and cries for help, and managed to escape rushing towards the door and jumping out or by breaking open the windows in lavatories.
Though 39 of the passengers were lucky as they managed to alight, some of them lost their loved ones on board.
Charan, a resident of Bangalore, saved 20 other passengers from the bogie but his wife and fahter-in-law were consumed by the fire, AP Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy, who hails from the district said.
Ramamurthy, one of the survivors, said he was suddenly shaken from his deep slumber as smoke and fire engulfed the compartment.
"I saw panic-stricken people scrambling towards the door, all trying to get out. I managed to get out when the train stopped," he said.
Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharhe, who rushed to the accident spot, said 26 people have died and the bodies have been sent for forensic examination and kept in the hospital in Bangalore for identification.
He said only nine bodies had been identified and efforts were on to find out the kith and kin of the victims through the addresses given by them or using the mobile phones. A two-year-old baby girl is among the dead.
SP of Guntakal Railway Police Janardhan said 13 people were injured in the mishap.
Kharge announced an inquiry by Railway Safety Commissioner adding the probe would unearth "what are the lapses.. How it happened, lack of maintenance or negligence of staff or faulty electricity , everything will be done.
