Ranchi, November 22: At least seven people, including two children, were feared killed when two AC coaches of Dehradun-bound 13009 Howrah-Dehradun express caught fire in between Parasnath-Nimiaghat railway stations in Giridih district of Jharkhand early today. However, railway authorities have so far confirmed only two casualties in the incident. Official sources said the fire broke out at around 0235 hrs in B1 coach, the eighth bogie of the train and spread to the adjacent AC coach B2. Both the bogies were then detached from the train. One was sent to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Gomoh station and another to Parasnath station to avert any further incident, sources said. One among the deceased have been identified as Archita Thakur of Ranchi, sources claimed. Sources cited a short circuit at the heater of air conditioning as a cause of fire. Fire engines were pressed into the service to douse the flames and a medical team has also reached the spot. Senior officials, including DRM Dhanbad, were present on the spot.
—Agencies