The Tata-Ernakulam Express, traveling from Visakhapatnam to Ernakulam, caught fire around 1:30 AM on Sunday after passing Duvvada in Visakhapatnam district. Flames broke out in the B1 and M2 AC coaches adjacent to the pantry car. Alert loco pilots stopped the train near Yelamanchili station and immediately informed fire personnel. By the time the firefighters arrived, the fire had completely engulfed both coaches. Panicked passengers jumped out of the burning coaches onto the station platform amid thick smoke. A 70-year-old passenger, identified as Chandrashekhar Sundar from Vijayawada, was trapped and died in the fire. Preliminary reports suggest the fire may have originated at Narsingaballi due to brake issues in the B1 AC coach.
Firefighters from Anakapalli, Yelamanchili, and Nakkapalli rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control, though passengers’ belongings in the two coaches were entirely destroyed. Railway authorities quickly deployed ambulances, providing aid to passengers. Approximately 2,000 travelers faced difficulties due to the combination of smoke and cold at the station.
The incident caused significant disruption to rail traffic on the Visakhapatnam–Vijayawada route, with several trains delayed or temporarily halted at Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, and Tuni stations. Passengers from the affected coaches were transported to Samarlakota station via three RTC buses, where two AC coaches were coupled and the journey to Ernakulam resumed. Railway officials have launched a detailed investigation into the exact cause of the fire.