Bangalore, October 16
Two persons were charred to death and six others suffered burns when a coach of a Solapur-bound passenger train from Hyderabad caught fire during its halt at the Gulbarga railway station in Karnataka station today.

As many as three persons, including a minor and a 35-year-old woman, were grievously injured. A two-year-old infant, a five-year- old child and a 50-year-old woman sustained minor injuries in the mishap. The injured have been shifted to the Gulbarga Civil Hospital.

“The identity of the deceased is yet to be established as the bodies have been burnt beyond recognition,” Gulbarga station manager US Shukla told this reporter over the phone.

“There was a sudden burst of fire in the coach,” Shukla added. He said fire extinguishing cylinders available in the station and hoses used for supplying water to train coaches were used for dousing the fire. “But the fire was so strong that it was not coming under control,” he said.

According to a press release issued by the Central Railway, the fire raged for about an hour. The press release said the 57660 Hyderabad-Gulbarga Passenger arrived here at 12.50 pm o­n Platform No. 3. The empty rake was stabled at the platform as in the same rail link, it was scheduled to leave as 57628 Gulbarga-Solapur Passenger at 4.15 pm. While the empty rake was at the platform, some persons boarded it.

At about 1.45 pm, fire broke out in a general second-class coach (no. SCR 99480). Fire-fighting equipment at the station was deployed and the local fire brigade was called. The fire was extinguished at 2.45 pm.

M Wazir Ahmed, IGP, North-Eastern Range, who visited the Gulbarga station after learning about the mishap, said, “It appears to be a case of accident.”

An ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 lakh has been announced to the next of kin of the dead, Rs 25,000 to the grievously injured and Rs 5,000 to the persons who suffered minor injuries.

The Commissioner of Railway Safety, Central Circle, will conduct an inquiry into the incident.