INDIA: The Howrah-Dehradun Express train reaches Kolkata after a fire in two coaches that left at least seven dead

Record ID: 1374151

  • Title: INDIA: The Howrah-Dehradun Express train reaches Kolkata after a fire in two coaches that left at least seven dead
  • Date: 24th November 2011
  • Summary: KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL, INDIA (NOVEMBER 22, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) TRAIN ARRIVING PEOPLE STANDING AT THE TRAIN STATION PASSENGERS SITTING IN THE TRAIN THE TRAIN MOVING SIGNBOARD ON THE TRAIN READING 'DOON EXPRESS' JOURNALISTS STANDING PASSENGERS WALKING OUT OF THE TRAIN MAN BEING PUSHED ON A WHEELCHAIR PASSENGERS LEAVING THE STATION SIGNBOARD IN HINDI POLICEMEN STANDING INJURED PASSENGER SITTING PASSENGER SITTING
  • Embargoed: 9th December 2011 00:33
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India, India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Disasters
  • Reuters ID: LVABC032K1EQZ87E6XB00BS2ROV6
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: The Howrah-Dehradun Express train reached Kolkata in India's eastern state of West Bengal on Tuesday (November 22) after an early morning fire in two of its coaches claimed at least seven lives.
    One passenger, Anup Singh, spoke of the chaos.
    "As far as I know there was a short circuit in the train and a compartment caught fire at 2:30 am. I woke up suddenly and there was utter chaos in the train, I could only see smoke in the entire train. I held my child and moved about in the train frantically and I tried to move out. I also tried to save a four-year old girl but I was unsuccessful, as the entire place was suffocated by then. I pulled the chain of the train immediately in a bid to save other passengers," said Singh.
    The two air-conditioned coaches caught fire in the early hours of Tuesday while passing through Giridih district of India's eastern Jharkhand state.
    The incident happened at around 2 a.m. local time.
    Several foreigners were also on board the train.
    Authorities said later that the burned wagons had been shifted to nearby stations and that the train route was restored by around 7 in the morning local time.
    India's railways minister says the cause of the fire has yet to be established.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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