Two coaches of the Doon Express catch fire, seven killed

Seven people, including children, have been killed after two coaches of the Doon Express today 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.

The fire broke out 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.

Top officials of the Dhanbad division of the Railways rushed to the spot.

A relief train and ambulance were also sent to the spot.

Catering arrangements were also been made for the stranded passengers.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and an inquiry has been ordered by the Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS), the spokesman said.

According to railway officials, one of the deceased has been identified as Archita Kumari who hailed from Asansol in West Bengal.

Both the coaches have been 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.