Two persons were charred to death and seven suffered severe burns when a bogie of Solapur-bound passenger train from Hyderabad caught fire during its halt at the station here today, police said.
There were over 15 passengers in the ill-fated bogie of the Falaknuma Passenger when it arrived here at 12.30 pm and caught fire. The cause of the fire is not known. Some passengers managed to jump to safety.
The victims are yet to be identified as the bodies have been burnt beyond recognition, police said.
The injured have been admitted to a hospital here where the condition of two was stated to be serious.
Some of the passengers were headed for Tuljapur in Maharashtra to attend the Bhavani festival which takes place during Navaratri, police said.
District Incharge Minister Revunaik Belmagi, accompanied by Superintendent of Police Praveen Madhukar Pawar, visited the station.
Ex-gratia
The Railways have ordered an inquiry into the fire incident and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 lakh to the next of the kin of the dead.
"An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the fire in the general coach of the Solapur passenger train. The inquiry will be conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety Chetan Baxi,” Railway spokesperson Anil Saxena said in New Delhi.
The Railways have also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 75,000 to the seriously injured and Rs 5,000 for those with minor injuries.
“The fire brigade was immediately pressed into service to douse the fire which was noticed at around 1 pm. Senior officials have rushed to the spot and fire was extinguished by 2.15 pm,” he said.