A devastating fire tore through two coaches of the Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express early this morning, claiming the life of a 70-year-old passenger while railway staff heroically evacuated 158 others. The incident unfolded around 12:45 a.m. near Yalamanchili railway station in Anakapalli district, about 66 km from Visakhapatnam, when the loco pilot spotted sparks—likely from overheating brakes in the B1 AC coach—and slammed on the brakes at Elamanchili station.

Crew members acted with lightning speed, detaching the blazing B1 and M2 coaches to stop the flames from spreading to the rest of the train. Four fire tenders rushed to the scene, pulling out 82 passengers from one coach and 76 from the other amid thick smoke and chaos. Tragically, Chandrasekhar Sundar from Vijayawada was found charred inside the B1 coach once the fire was extinguished—no other injuries were reported, though all belongings in the gutted coaches went up in smoke.

Vijayawada Divisional Railway Manager and senior officials arrived quickly, setting up helplines and attaching an extra coach so the train could continue to Ernakulam with the survivors rerouted safely. Home Minister V Anita has directed a full investigation, with forensic experts probing possible brake friction or sparks after Anakapalli as the cause.

The mishap caused delays rippling through the busy Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada route, renewing urgent calls for better fire detection systems and maintenance checks on long-haul expresses. Indian Railways has seen similar scares before, like short-circuit blazes, making today's quick response a silver lining in an otherwise heartbreaking event.