Giridih, Jharkhand:
Seven people, including children, were killed today after two coaches of the Doon Express caught fire in the wee hours near Giridih district in Jharkhand.
The fire broke out around 3 am in the AC 3-tier coach B1 and later spread to B2, when the train was passing through Nimiaghat station in the district, Divisional Railway Manager (Dhanbad Division) Sudhir Kumar said. It was on its way from Howrah to Dehradun.
"Someone did the right thing and pulled the chain which is why we survived. Our luggage is still inside", said a passenger. A local who was helping in the rescue operations said, "A couple of people tried to get inside the train, but it wasn't possible. There was too much gas, so we couldn't enter. We also saw a person burning."
Among the deceased was a girl who was travelling with her mother for a wedding.
The first rescue team team arrived at the spot only three hours after the incident. A relief train and an ambulance was also present at the site. Catering arrangements were also made for the stranded passengers.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. But passengers from the burnt coach believe that a defective heater could have triggered the fire. They said they had complained to the electrician and the guard about the blowers when they started feeling suffocated. But no
acted, they claimed, after which there was an explosion and the coaches were in flames.
An inquiry has been ordered by the Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS), the spokesman said.
Both the coaches were detached from the train, which left Howrah station last night.
Traffic, which was earlier disrupted with around eight trains being affected on the Gaya-Gomo-Dhanbad route, has been restored.
The government, meanwhile, has announced a compensation of Rs five lakh for the next of the kin who died in the accident.
(With PTI inputs)Helpline numbers: 03326413660, 03326402241, 03326402242, 03326402243