At least 32 passengers, including three handicapped persons and two pregnant women, were killed when a fire spread through a packed Gautami Express in Warangal district of southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh Friday, the police said. The passengers were fast asleep when the fire started at 1.10 A.M. The police and railway officials said that the fire was accidental and it was caused by short circuit. However, a team of forensic and explosives experts from the Andhra Pradesh police was also looking into the cause of the fire. The fire broke out on the express train going from Secunderabad to Kakinada near K Samudram 20 km before Mahbubabad railway station, Warangal district superintendent of police C.V. Sajjanar said. He said apparently the fire broke out after the dupatta (a long scarf) of a lady traveling on an upper berth was stuck in the fan. Janardhan Reddy, district collector of Warangal, said most of the victims were traveling in the S-10 compartment. About five bodies were also recovered from S-9 coach. “The bodies were so badly charred that we could not identify them easily. Even for counting the dead bodies we have to rely on the skulls because the bodies are badly mangled”, he said. Eight injured passengers including three women were taken to the MGM Hospital in Warangal city. “The fire broke out in S-10 coach and it spread to four other coaches,” Sajjanar said. A Railway Protection Force head constable, who was in the S-10 compartment, pulled the chain to bring the train to a halt after noticing the fire and the smoke. As soon as the fire started and smoke engulfed the compartment, several passengers ran in to adjoining S-9 coach. But the fire spread to the other coaches so fast that some of them collapsed near the door of S-9 coach. The other coaches which were burnt in the fire include S-10, 11 and S-12. But the passengers had come out of these coaches by the time the fire and the smoke engulfed them. Soon after the fire broke out, the crew of the train acted quickly and separated engine and eight other bogies from the burning coaches containing the damage. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy expressing his shock and grief over the incident said there was a need for more alert on the part of the railways. “I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. We will do everything possible to help the families,” he said. A special relief train was sent from Secunderabad with medical staff. Sajjanar said that as the train was stuck at a place not accessible by the road and was surrounded by thick forest, it created hurdles in relief and rescue operations. “We have to walk two km to reach the scene of the accident, about five km from K Samudram station,” he said. State Minister for Animal Husbandry G. Surya Rao was among the passengers of the train, but he escaped unhurt. The South Central Railway has announced an ex gratia of Rs500,000 to the kith and kin of every victim of the fire accident. One family member has also been promised a job. An ex gratia of Rs100,000 was announced for every injured person. __
