4 coaches of passenger train catch fire at Visakhapatnam station

A fire broke out on the Korba-Visakhapatnam Express (18517) at Visakhapatnam railway station on Sunday morning, damaging four empty coaches. The incident occurred around 10 a.m. The blaze was quickly brought under control, and no injuries or casualties were reported, news agencies reported, citing Railway officials.

The train had arrived at the station at 6:30 a.m., and by the time the fire started, it was empty. The quick response from local fire services helped prevent further damage. The fire department managed to extinguish the flames by 11:10 a.m.

According to Visakhapatnam Commissioner of Police Shankar Brata Bagchi, the fire broke out in the coaches scheduled for maintenance. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) staff, who were patrolling the platform, noticed smoke at 9:20 a.m. They immediately alerted the fire brigade and station staff, who responded swiftly to contain the fire. The two adjacent coaches were evacuated as a precautionary measure, while the remaining coaches were moved to the coaching depot.


Waltair Division's Railway Manager Saurabh Prasad explained that the empty rake was supposed to go to the coaching depot for routine maintenance. After the fire was extinguished, the coaches were inspected and relocated to the depot for further evaluation.

An FIR will be filed, and forensic experts will investigate the cause of the fire, which could be due to a short circuit or another issue. Currently, no suspects have been identified. The investigation will focus on determining the exact cause, starting from the B7 coach where the fire originated.

The Andhra Pradesh fire department has given clearance for the adjacent coaches, and they were subsequently moved for a thorough inspection. The railway authorities are conducting a detailed investigation to prevent future incidents and ensure safety protocols are reinforced.