42 UP pilgrims who survived Tamil Nadu train fire reach Lucknow
Gas cylinder “illegally” taken inside coach led to blaze, says Southern Railway; five passengers detained for inquiry; final decision on them to be taken today
Forty-two passengers from Uttar Pradesh who survived the fire that broke out on a Rameswaram-bound train in Tamil Nadu on Saturday (August 26), reached Lucknow on Sunday and were sent home, officials said.
According to Relief Commissioner Naveen Kumar, 28 people hailing from Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Hardoi, Ayodhya, Shahjahanpur, and Lucknow districts were flown in via Delhi, while 14 people arrived from Chennai. The Lucknow district administration arranged for them to be sent home.
The official said seven people are also on their way to Lucknow via Bengaluru.
He said some of these passengers were also injured in the fire that broke out inside a compartment of the train at Madurai railway station on August 26. Nine people were killed in the incident.
Sixty-four pilgrims bound for Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu had last week embarked from Lucknow in a private party coach booked by a tour operator. The Southern Railway has said a gas cylinder “illegally” taken inside the coach led to the blaze.
Kumar said five passengers have been detained for inquiry and one is in hospital. He added that the SP Railways (Madurai) has said a final decision on the detained passengers will be taken on Monday.
(With agency inputs)
