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Preliminary report on fire in Cheran Express in ten days

Staff Reporter

Probe begins; railway staff, passengers, public questioned

SITE INSPECTION: The Commissioner for Rail Safety, Pranab Kumar Sen ( with a cap), inspecting the site at Irugur near Coimbatore on Thursday morning, where an unreserved coach of the Cheran Express was gutted on Tuesday. — Photo:M. Periasamy

COIMBATORE: The Commissioner of Rail Safety, Southern Region, Pranab Kumar Sen, who is conducting the inquiry into the fire on Cheran Express at Irugur near Coimbatore, will submit his preliminary report in ten days.

The charred body of an unidentified, middle-aged man was recovered from the locked toilet of the second-class unreserved coach that was gutted early on Tuesday. Initial reports indicated that the man could have set himself ablaze. However, the investigating agencies looked into whether it was an accident or foul play.

Mr. Sen on Thursday visited the spot where the coach went up in flames. He questioned the railway staff, including the Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTE), AC coach attendants, train driver, assistant driver and the guard, at Coimbatore Junction. Passengers who travelled by the train and the public who assisted in the rescue also deposed. The inquiry will continue on Friday.

Talking to reporters after the forenoon session of the inquiry, Mr. Sen said that he would first present a preliminary report in ten days.

After taking into account the finer details that figured in the forensic reports, and public/passengers' deposition, the final report would be presented to the Chief Commissioner of Rail Safety in 60 days.

Mr. Sen said that if it were an accident, the victim's family would be entitled to compensation. Safety measures were being strengthened further, he said.

When asked about the practice of courier agents taking consignments and concealing them inside the toilet to evade parcel charges, he said the railways had taken note of it and measures to prevent such practices were under consideration.

Referring to the passengers' right to carry minimum personal luggage while travelling, he said some passengers concealed inflammable products. The TTEs moved from one coach to the other and could not keep an eye on all the luggage being brought onto the train. "It would be practically impossible to have one TTE for every coach to exercise vigil over such banned commodities which are being taken as personal luggage," Divisional Railway Manager, Palakkad, S.K. Sharma said.

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