At least nine killed in Indian train fire sparked by passenger making tea
At least nine people were killed Saturday after a train coach parked in southern India caught fire when a passenger tried to make tea, officials said.
The coach, which had been detached from a train, was stationed at the Madurai railway yard in the southern state of Tamil Nadu when the fire broke out before dawn.
"It was a single, stationary coach booked by a private tourist operator. Somebody tried to make tea and it caused the fire," Madurai district spokesman Sali Thalapathi said.
"Nine people have died, three of them are women. Nine others are injured but their injuries are not life-threatening." None of the bodies had been identified so far, he added.
Footage showed huge flames leaping out of the windows of the train carriage. Some passengers managed to escape the inferno in time.
Local media reports said the passengers had illegally smuggled aboard a gas cylinder which exploded when they tried to use it.
India has one of the world's largest rail networks and has seen several disasters over the years, the worst in 1981 when a train derailed while crossing a bridge in Bihar state and plunged into a river below, killing 800 people.
(Source: AFP)
Landslides following 7.4 magnitude quake in Vanuatu
Two killed in US school shooting; student suspect also dead: Police
Protesters gather in Jordan in solidarity with Palestinians
VIDEO | Australians rally for Gaza ahead of Christmas festivities
VIDEO | Attacks on Sana'a
Iran reports further drop in annual inflation rate in December
Israel indicts two settlers over suspected spying for Hezbollah
Iran: US airstrikes on Yemen war crimes, violation of international law
Yemeni armed forces down F-18 fighter jet, repel US-UK attack: Spokesman
Iran warns against US-Israeli plot to weaken Muslims, dominate region
VIDEO | Public uproar in US against Israeli regime
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
