Nine folks have died after a hearth broke out in a stationary prepare compartment at a railway station in southern India, officers mentioned.

The blaze broke out at 5am on Saturday and burned for 2 hours earlier than firefighters had been in a position to put it out, authorities mentioned.

It began inside a non-public compartment, which was indifferent and parked on railway tracks on the Madurai station, within the southern state of Tamil Nadu, in line with an announcement by Southern Railway.

A fuel cylinder smuggled in by some passengers brought about the hearth, the assertion mentioned, including that police, fireplace and rescue officers helped pull out the our bodies from the coach. No different coaches had been broken.

The Madurai district spokesperson Sali Thalapathi advised Agence-France Presse: “It was a single, stationary coach booked by a private tourist operator. Somebody tried to make tea and it caused the fire.

“Nine people have died; three of them are women. Nine others are injured, but their injuries are not life-threatening.” None of the our bodies had been recognized up to now, he added.

Southern Railway didn’t disclose the variety of folks contained in the compartment on the time of the hearth however mentioned many managed to get out.

Footage confirmed large flames leaping out of the home windows of the prepare carriage.

Officials advised the Press Trust of India information company that 20 others had been injured and brought to hospital.

Accidents are common on India’s railroad network, one of many world’s largest, with about 22 million passengers utilizing it every day. Most collisions and fires are blamed on poor upkeep and human error.

In June, a deadly train collision killed greater than 290 folks in certainly one of India’s worst prepare accidents.