NEW DELHI, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- A 75-year-old passenger was killed after a fire broke out inside two coaches of a train early Monday in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, police said.
The fire inside Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express broke out near Elamanchili in Anakapalle district, about 313 km northeast of Amaravati, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh.
"Both the coaches, B1 and M2 were fully gutted in the fire. Belongings of passengers in these two coaches were also destroyed," a police official said. "All the other passengers are safe."
The railway staff also acted swiftly and informed the fire brigade personnel, who reached the spot to douse the fire.
"Two affected coaches were separated from the train, and two other coaches were attached in their place," a railway official said. "The train was thoroughly inspected and allowed to proceed after a seven-hour delay."
In view of the accident, rail traffic on the Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada route was temporarily suspended, leading to widespread delays.
Meanwhile, police have registered a case and ordered an investigation into the fire incident to ascertain the cause behind it. ■
