10 Dead, Many Injured As Fire Breaks Out On Parked Tourist Train In Tamil Nadu's Madurai

According to Madurai District Collector, at least ten people died and several were injured in the incident. The state government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased.

Image of the coach of the train which was on fire

Source : PTI

At least 10 people were killed and many were injured in Tamil Nadu in the early hours of Saturday after a fire broke out on a tourist train parked on the Bodi Line near Madurai railway station. News agency PTI shared a visual from the site on X (formerly known as Twitter). In the video, it could be seen that a significant portion of a coach of the train was charred. Fire tenders rushed to the spot and were seen trying to douse the flames.

VIDEO | Madurai District Collector confirms eight casualties in the fire that broke out in a parked tourist train earlier today. Another 20 injured have been admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai. Rescue operation is underway. pic.twitter.com/Vtt5Hyh5yw

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 26, 2023

President Droupadi Murmu expressed grief over the loss and wrote, "Deeply pained to learn about the tragic loss of lives in a fire accident in a stationary train near Madurai junction, Tamil Nadu. I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured."

Deeply pained to learn about the tragic loss of lives in a fire accident in a stationary train near Madurai junction, Tamil Nadu. I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured.

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) August 26, 2023

Home Minister Amit Shah also extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and wrote, "Saddened by the tragic fire accident on a train in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones. Prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured."

Saddened by the tragic fire accident on a train in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. My deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones. Prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.

தமிழகத்தின் மதுரையில் நடந்த பயங்கர ரயில் தீ விபத்து வருத்தம் அளிக்கிறது. தங்களின்…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 26, 2023

Madurai District Collector, MS Sangeetha, while talking to the media earlier confirmed that the tragic incident led to the death of nine people and many were injured. The injured were admitted to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. Rescue operations are still underway, added Sangeetha. While talking to ANI, she said, "Today early morning at 5:30 am there was a fire accident in the coach which was halted here at Madurai railway station...They were pilgrims & were travelling from Uttar Pradesh. This morning when they tried to make coffee & tried to lit the gas stove, there was a cylinder blast. 55 people have been rescued & as of now, we have retrieved nine bodies...Rescue operation is underway."

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu: "Today early morning at 5:30 am there was a fire accident in the coach which was halted here at Madurai railway station...They were pilgrims & were travelling from Uttar Pradesh. This morning when they tried to make coffee & tried to lit the gas stove, there… https://t.co/MgXuD4CDir pic.twitter.com/iDDBOmjIDX

— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023

According to news agency ANI, a Southern Railway official said that the fire broke out at Madurai yard at 5:15 AM on Saturday on the Punalur-Madurai Express. No damage was caused to any other coach. The Southern Railway issued a statement in which it said that the burnt private party coach was attached to the train at Nagercoil Railway station. Passengers of the said coach illegally smuggled a gas cylinder into the coach which caused the fire. Upon noticing the fire, many passengers got out of the coach.

We regret to inform that a fire accident was reported in a private party tourist coach in Madurai yard at 5.15 hrs of today (26th Aug). The fire was put off at 7.15 hrs and Senior railway officials have reached the site pic.twitter.com/cxkoU7i7ry

— Southern Railway (@GMSRailway) August 26, 2023

The Southern Railway has announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased.

Casualty in TN train fire increases to 10; ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh announced to family of deceased: Southern Railway

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 26, 2023

Earlier on August 19, two such incidents were reported. A fire broke out in the engine of the Udaipur city-Khajuraho train stopped at Sitholi railway station in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, and in the other incident, a fire broke out in the Udyan Express after it reached Bengaluru's Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station.