Thane train mishap: Victims died due to suffocation (Pics)

Thane (Maharashtra), Jan 8: At least 9 passengers, including a woman, were burned alive when a fire engulfed three coaches of the speeding Mumbai-Dehradun Express near Dahanu town in Maharashtra's Thane district early Wednesday, officials said.

Experts said that people died due to asphyxiation.

The fire is believed to have erupted in one bogie and quickly spread to two other bogies, catching the passengers in their sleep around 2.30 a.m. Wednesday, a Western Railway official spokesperson said.

"The fire was noticed on the speeding train by a level-crossing gateman who alerted the guard. The guard informed the driver and the train was stopped. The gateman did a commendable job and averted a major disaster," the spokesperson said.

According to preliminary information, the fire broke out in S-3 coach and quickly spread to the other adjoining coaches as the train hurtled to its destination.

In Thane

At least 9 were killed in the mishap

In Thane

Fire engulfed three coaches of the speeding Mumbai-Dehradun Express near Dahanu town in Maharashtra's Thane district early Wednesday

In Thane

Victims died to suffocation, said experts

In Thane

Two of the victims identified are Dipika Shah of Ghatkopar and Devshankar Upadhyay of Borivli, while the identities of the others are being ascertained

In Thane

The fire was brought under control shortly after the train was brought to a halt at Gholwad station, around 145km north of Mumbai on the Maharasthra-Gujarat border.

Oneindia News