A fire broke out in two compartments of the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express in the early hours of Monday, killing one passenger and triggering a large-scale emergency response near Yalamanchili, around 66 km from Visakhapatnam.

Police said they received information about the incident at 12:45 am. A police official told reporters that there were 82 passengers in one of the affected coaches and 76 in another when the fire was reported.

“Unfortunately, a dead body was found in the B1 coach,” the official said. The deceased was identified as Chandrsekhar Sundaram.

Following the incident, the two damaged coaches were detached from the train, which then continued its journey towards Ernakulam. Authorities said passengers from the affected coaches would be sent to their respective destinations.

Two forensic teams have been deployed to ascertain the cause of the fire, the police official said. The South Central Railway (SCR), in a statement, confirmed that B1 and M2 coaches of the train (No. 18189) caught fire.

Initial investigations indicated that the fire did not originate from the electrical panel side of the coach, which is usually the case, but from the linen storage area.

Further investigation is underway, said a press release from the Vijayawada Division of the South Central Railway (SCR). It announced that ex gratia would be paid to the family of the deceased.

According to the release, railway staff responded immediately and informed the fire brigade, while officials assisted passengers in deboarding the train. Fire personnel later reached the spot and extinguished the blaze.

As a precautionary measure, both affected coaches and an additional AC III Tier coach (M1) were detached from the rake. The remaining coaches are being moved to Samalkot Railway Station, where three empty replacement coaches will be attached.

Meanwhile, passengers from the affected coaches are being shifted to Samalkot station through arranged bus services.

The Commissioner of Railway Safety and senior SCR officials have rushed to the site along with forensic and medical teams to determine the cause of the fire and assess casualties.

The SCR said all necessary precautions are being taken in coordination with the local administration and that helpline numbers have been set up to provide assistance and information on train operations.

Meanwhile, Anakapalli District Collector Vijaya Krishnan said a pressure imbalance was detected when brakes were applied at Yelamanchili station, which triggered an alert on the engine noticed by the loco pilot and station staff.

“Smoke was observed, and passengers were immediately evacuated. A total of 143 passengers were safely deboarded,” the collector told media.

The collector said the Railway Forensic Department would ascertain the exact cause of the incident after examining the affected coaches, adding that stranded passengers were provided with food and drinking water before the remaining coaches resumed their journey towards Ernakulam.