Fire in 7 compartments of Hyderabad-bound Falaknuma Express; no casualties reported

Thick smoke quickly engulfed the area as the fire consumed the two bogies, and it subsequently spread to two other bogies.

In an effort to contain the fire, railway officials separated the unaffected coaches from the ones on fire.

Unfortunately, due to the unavailability of fire tenders on site, there were challenges in extinguishing the flames.

A senior official of the South Central Railway said three sleeper compartments (S4, S5, and S6) were damaged completely and four partially in the fire.

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Official statement

Nearly 300 passengers were safely evacuated from the fire-hit train and transported home by buses.

Passengers of Train No. 12703 (Howrah – Secundrabad) is being transported safely by arranging 12 buses to Secunderabad. @RailMinIndia @drmsecunderabad pic.twitter.com/OEIACmsIk4

— South Central Railway (@SCRailwayIndia) July 7, 2023

“All passengers are safely evacuated and shifted in buses after a fire broke out in the Falaknuma Express near Bhongir rural PS limits. Police, Fire Dept, and Railways are working in coordination. So far, no fatalities have been reported. Out of 18 coaches, 11 are detached and taken away safely. 7 bogies caught fire, out of which fire is extinguished in 3 bogies as of now [sic],” Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar tweeted.

All passengers are safely evacuated and shifted in buses after a fire broke out in the Falaknuma Express near Bhongir rural PS limits. Police, Fire Dept, and Railways are working in coordination. So far, no fatalities have been reported.
Out of 18 coaches 11 are detached and… pic.twitter.com/TtgD5BzFP6

— DGP TELANGANA POLICE (@TelanganaDGP) July 7, 2023

“Situation is totally under control. No injuries, no causalities. All the passengers are safe,” a SCR official said.

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On the spot

An eyewitness told TV channels that all the passengers were alighted after the fire was noticed.

A railway employee said one of his colleagues noticed smoke coming from a compartment prompting the loco pilot to stop the train and evacuate the passengers from the train.

Fire tenders and other rescue machinery including local police reached the spot to extend help.

A passenger told a TV channel that the luggage of several passengers was gutted in the fire as they did not have enough time to collect them.

Another passenger who got down from the train said her luggage, along with her educational certificates, was gutted in the fire.

As many as 12 busses were pressed into service to ferry stranded passengers to Hyderabad.

An SCR spokesperson while refusing to attribute reasons for the fire said, “It is premature to ascertain the reasons at this point in time. A thorough inquiry will be conducted to find out the reasons.”

An anonymous letter warning of a “Balasore-like train tragedy” on the “Hyderabad-Delhi-Hyderabad” route was sent to the South Central Railway (SCR) recently.

The SCR authorities informed the Telangana Police about the letter.

SC Railway officials have announced the cancellation or diversion of certain trains due to track repair work being carried out at the site.

Due to the fire incident of Train No. 12703 Howrah – Secunderabad the following trains are cancelled / partially cancelled / diverted as detailed below@drmsecunderabad @drmgnt pic.twitter.com/LuMZd0U6nx

— South Central Railway (@SCRailwayIndia) July 7, 2023

(With PTI inputs)