Eyewitnesses Recall Panic As Jaipur Express Catches Fire
Ravi Kumar, vendor at the station, said railway staff and others who came forward to help used the water-refilling hose to direct water into the coaches. “The affected coaches were separated” from the rest of the train, he said.
Hyderabad: A fire broke out in two AC coaches of the Hyderabad–Jaipur Express at Nampally station on Friday at 6.20 pm, even as the train was filling up 20 minutes ahead of its departure. Quick response by passengers and action by officials ensured that there were no casualties.
Eyewitnesses said the fire broke out in B1 coach and later spread to B2, both AC III Tier coaches. Since there was still time for boarding, there were not many passengers in the two coaches, though the train was fully booked. “Those who were inside were helped out after we and the RPF broke the windowpanes. Passengers on the platform also helped in removing luggage,” said Lakshmikkanth Rane, one of the passengers.
The two coaches were gutted in the incident. A railway official at the station said the evening was usually busy at the station, with several train departures. “The station was in chaos. We evacuated the station and rescue operations began immediately,” the official said.
Ravi Kumar, vendor at the station, said railway staff and others who came forward to help used the water-refilling hose to direct water into the coaches. “The affected coaches were separated” from the rest of the train, he said.
The train had 100 per cent occupancy due to the summer holiday rush, with many Rajasthan natives living in Hyderabad travelling with their families. Several passengers expressed shock and fear, saying, “What if this had happened when the train was moving and all of us were asleep, one of them said.
South Central Railway General Manager Sanjay Kumar Srivastava and senior officials reached the spot and inspected the situation. Officials said the affected coaches were replaced with spare coaches, along with one additional general coach. The train was cleared from the platform and its departure was rescheduled by four hours.
Passengers were accommodated in waiting rooms until the safety checks were completed on the train. Engineering and electrical teams inspected the entire train before clearance.
The Telangana Fire Services department, in a statement, said the fire occurred in Train No. 12720 Hyderabad-Jaipur Express when AC coach B1 caught fire while the train was halted at the platform. The Fire Control Room received an emergency call around 6.40 pm, following which fire tenders from Niloufer outpost and a water bowser from Gowliguda fire station were rushed to the spot.
Fire personnel quickly launched firefighting operations and brought the blaze under control within a short time, preventing it from spreading to adjacent coaches and averting a major mishap.
Hyderabad district fire officer Thagaram Venkanna supervised the operation. He also mobilised the Assembly fire team and Disaster Response Team.
According to preliminary findings, the fire is suspected to have originated from the air-conditioning unit in coach B1. Authorities said a detailed examination would be conducted to ascertain the exact cause. Assistant district fire officer, High Court, Bhanu Pratap and station fire officer, Gowliguda, B. Sudhakar also participated in the operation and coordinated with emergency teams.
