Kota, May 17: Passengers aboard the Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express expressed their outrage following a fire incident on the train. They accused the railway authorities of serious negligence, stating that there was no timely alarm during the fire, nor was immediate assistance provided. As a result, their belongings and valuables were destroyed in the blaze. The railway added extra coaches to the train and offered passengers a compensation of ₹5,000, while many chose to stay in Kota to file FIRs.
One passenger recounted, “After the fire started, we pulled the emergency chain, but the fire alarm did not go off. Our entire luggage was burned. Some people even lost their sandals. A woman who went to the toilet first noticed the fire by the gate. When she screamed, everyone woke up, but by then, smoke filled the coach, and we started to flee.”
Another passenger named Bhushan shared, “After the fire broke out, four or five of us tried to help children and women to safety. Meanwhile, a freight train passed on the adjacent track, which intensified the fire. We jumped from the train and injured our legs. Our belongings were completely destroyed. The important thing is that we survived.”
A woman lamented, “A year’s worth of hard work went up in flames. Money and important documents were lost. We were traveling from Goa to Haryana, and everything was in that bag. We suffered significant losses. We felt like we were facing death.”
She further criticized the railway for their negligence, stating, “We were given water only after a long time, and it wasn’t even cold. We were just being evacuated; no one listened to us. When I asked for medicine, I was told it would be available in Kota.”
Another woman, Sanju Mishra, remarked, “If the rescue had been timely, some of our belongings could have been saved. We watched everything burn for three hours. The fire brigade that arrived had no water. The villagers helped bring water to extinguish the fire. We were traveling from Surat to Delhi, and all our cash, clothes, and jewelry were lost.”
She added, “After the fire broke out, we received no help. We all jumped from the train without thinking about our belongings.”
A railway official stated that some passengers demanded to file FIRs. They refused to continue their journey, insisting they would not proceed until the FIRs were registered. The railway has provided a special relief of ₹5,000 to all passengers and arranged for their food and drink. Passengers can file claims, but the immediate assistance of ₹5,000 was issued to help them.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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