One of the burnt coaches of the train
Nine people were killed in their sleep when a fire broke out in three sleeper coaches of the Bandra-Dehradun Express in Maharashtra's Thane district late last night.
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The fire spread in the S3, S4 and S5 coaches of the train at around 2:30 am, when most passengers were asleep.
The train is now at the Gholvad Railway Station, around 145 km from north of Mumbai on the Maharasthra-Gujarat border, where rescue teams and fire brigades have been rushed. Efforts are currently on to separate the three charred coaches, so that the rest of the train can be sent to Dehradun.
"Nine people have diedfrom the fire which spread to three coaches in the night. The fire broke out atabout 2:30 am," said the press officer for Western Railways, SharatChandrayan.Union
Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 500,000 to the families of the dead. The Railway Board has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Last month, a fire racedthrough a train carriage packed with sleeping passengers in Andhra Pradesh, killing 26 people and forcing terrified passengers tosmash windows in a frantic bid to escape.