Unresolved tragedies - tentatively "secular"

[Husky]

Unresolved tragedies - tentatively "secular"



Yet why the emergence of a pattern? A total of two similar mysterious "accidents" may not constitute a pattern generally, but note the dates for such rarish 'mysteries' are very close together. Both night trains too. If anyone wanted to kill lots of people on a train, chances are they will have more success with night trains: more people will succumb to fire when asleep than when awake.



1. indianexpress.com/news/26-die-in-sleep-as-fire-breaks-out-on-train-from-bangalore/1212950/

indianexpress.com/news/26-die-in-sleep-as-fire-breaks-out-on-train-from-bangalore/1212950/2

26 die in sleep as fire breaks out on train from Bangalore

Santosh Kumar R B , Avishek G Dastidar : Kothacheruvu, New Delhi, Sun Dec 29 2013, 08:16 hrs





[color="#800080"][Photo caption:][/color] [color="#0000FF"]Preliminary inquiry by Railways ruled out short-circuit and indicated the presence of a 'foreign object' which could have started the fire. (PTI)[/color]

[color="#800080"](Note, the foreign object has not been identified as a cigarette, lighter or any other known, everyday item. The phrase "foreign object" rules out several things. What remains after the process of elimination? Unidentified object? Irregular fire-starting object? What?)[/color]



Twenty six people, including two children, were killed and 12 injured when a fire broke out in the AC 3-tier



B-1 coach of the Bangalore-Nanded Express train at Kothacheruvu near Puttaparthi in the early hours of Saturday.



While the Commissioner of Railway Safety will formally probe the incident, a preliminary inquiry by Railways is learnt to have ruled out short-circuit and indicated the presence of a "foreign object" which could have started the fire.



[color="#0000FF"]According to Railway officials who inspected the gutted coach, the area near berth 64, where the coach's power panel was located, did not seem to have been burnt. Moreover, the battery fuse was also found intact. In case of a short circuit, these two would have been affected.[/color]

[color="#800080"](Not to mention the "presence of a "foreign object" which "could have started the fire".)[/color]



According to reports, the fire broke out at 3:10 am, when most of the 65 passengers were sleeping. Some managed to escape by breaking the window panes or running to the next coach. The train was stopped and the B-1 coach detached to stop the fire from spreading.



Fire and emergency service vehicles from Puttaparthi were called in to douse the flames. The Kothacheruvu police, Ananthapuram district police, Railway Protection Force and the state railway police rushed to the spot. Local residents also helped in the rescue operation.



[color="#0000FF"]By 11:30 am, the rescue team had pulled out 26 bodies. Nine of the bodies have been identified as P Leela, Rajanathan, N Sudha, K Kulakarni, Amir Kumar, Eshwarappa Lingappa, Bhagyaraj, Sarvamngala and S R Krishnamurthy[/color]. DNA tests will be performed to identify the remaining bodies.



Among those who are reported missing are Dr Asra, her son Mohammed Rahi and brother-in-law Ibrahim Rahi, software engineer Rahul of Adhoni and engineer Prathap Vinay.



While six of the injured passengers suffered minor burns, the others sustained 15-45 per cent burns.



Quoting survivors, officials said most of the victims seemed to have died due to asphyxiation caused by the smoke. "A passenger on berth 32, whose relatives died, said he saw fire on the floor. A foreign object appears to have caused the fire," said a senior Railway ministry official. Sources said local officials did not rule out a "sabotage angle".



Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, who rushed to the spot, said cigarettes, explosive objects and liquor would be strictly banned on trains. He also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh for those with serious injuries and Rs 50,000 for the others injured.

2. indianexpress.com/news/dehradun-express-fire-nine-charred-to-death--railways-orders-inquiry/1216770/

Dehradun Express fire: Nine charred to death; Railways orders inquiry

PRIYAL DAVE : New Delhi, Wed Jan 08 2014, 13:49 hrs



[color="#800080"][photo caption:][/color] Nine people were killed after a fire broke out in three general coaches of Bandra-Dehradun Express. (IE Photo)



Nine people were killed after a fire broke out in three general coaches of Bandra-Dehradun Express, north of Dahanu Road station in Thane district at around 2.30am Wednesday. Senior Railway officers rushed to the spot.



Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the train mishap. The minister also ordered inquiry into the train mishap.



Of the nine, five bodies have been identified. Four dead were men and one woman, who were reported to have died due to asphyxiation, said Shailendra Kumar, divisional railway manager, Western Railway. The other bodies were charred beyond recognition, said the officer. Rescue work is underway, he added.



The train has been taken to Gholvad station for rescue work.



Officers said fire had been brought under control, however smoke inside the coaches made rescue work difficult.



Sharat Chandrayan, chief public relations officer, Western Railway said, "The guard noticed the fire and applied emergency brakes. The three coaches were isolated to prevent the fire from spreading. Rescue work is still underway."



Train 19019 from Bandra Terminus to Dehradun left Mumbai at 00.05 am Wednesday.

[color="#800080"](Another night train then. Magically catching on fire.)[/color]



The helpline numbers are: 022 23011853 and 23007386



[color="#0000FF"]The accident comes within days of the Bangalore train tragedy where twenty six people, including two children, were killed and 12 injured when a fire broke out in the AC 3-tier B-1 coach of the Bangalore-Nanded Express train at Kothacheruvu near Puttaparthi.[/color]

[color="#800080"](Yes, within days.)[/color]

So 2 night trains. Within about 10 days of each other. Both catching fire, and people dead.



I don't know Indian railways too well.

Does this sort of thing happen often?

Previously I've noted there have been occurrences of key people accidentally (or magically?) forgetting to swap the lines at junctions so that a collision between trains occurred resulting in mass-deaths.

But catching fire? Is that ... common? And if so, why only in India? (Never heard of such things happening in any other country I've been. And I still read their news on occasion.)

Not to mention that the fire was from "the presence of a foreign object" a.o.t. power or fuse etc. Sounds like it human instigation.