Two air-conditioned coaches (B1 and M2) of Train No. 18189 Tatanagar-Ernakulam Express caught fire near Elamanchili railway station in Anakapalle district of Andhra Pradesh on the morning of December 29, 2025, resulting in the death of a passenger.
The incident occurred around 00:45–1:30 am, when the train was approaching Elamanchili after crossing Duvvada. Loco pilots saw the fire/smoke, immediately stopped the train and helped in evacuating the passengers quickly, thereby avoiding further damage. More than 150 passengers in the affected coaches got out safely amid panic.
The deceased has been identified as **Chandrashekhar Sundaram** (70), a resident of Vijayawada, who was trapped in the B1 AC coach and died due to burn injuries. Initial reports suggest that the fire may have been caused by brake overheating or a spark in the B1 coach, which quickly spread to the M2 coach adjacent to the pantry car.
Fire brigade teams from Anakapalle, Elamanchili and Nakkapalli extinguished the fire after several hours of hard work, but both the coaches were completely burnt, destroying all the belongings of the passengers. The damaged coaches were separated, replaced with other coaches at Samalkot and the train resumed after the delay. The affected passengers were sent by buses.
The incident disrupted Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada rail traffic, causing delay in many trains. South Central Railway started a helpline and started investigation into the cause of the fire.
Anakapalle SP Tuhin Sinha confirmed the death, while railway officials appreciated the prompt action. There is no news of anyone else being injured.
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