Bodies of pilgrims killed in train blaze sent home, probe on in Tamil Nadu

Chennai/Lucknow: Bodies of nine victims, including that of the tour organiser, killed in a fire mishap in a train coach in Tamil Nadu arrived in Lucknow from Chennai on Sunday.

UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak received the bodies and the mortal remains were taken to the home districts of the deceased in Uttar Pradesh.

Railway sources said Harish Kumar Bhasin (62), the tour organiser was among the dead and all the nine victims have now been identified. While the TN Government Railway Police (GRP) sleuths are questioning five passengers, the Commissioner of Railway Safety commenced an inquiry over the mishap in Madurai.

The UP deputy chief minister told PTI "the state government is providing all possible assistance to the families."

The bodies arrived at the Chowdhury Charan Singh airport in Lucknow in two separate flights. Five bodies were sent in a direct flight from Chennai and four were sent via Bengaluru.

Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner Naveen Kumar said, from the Lucknow airport, the bodies were transported to the respective districts of victims in hearses arranged by the government.

Official sources in TN said, of the 64 passengers of the private party train coach, one person continues to be treated in a Madurai hospital.

Nine persons were killed and eight others were injured in the fire accident on August 26 at the Madurai railway yard in Tamil Nadu. The survivors, including seven, who were treated for injuries boarded separate flights from Chennai and Madurai to reach their destinations.

TN police sources said the FIR does not feature tour operator Bhasin's name and the reference was 'general,' which was related to organising the pilgrimage, illegal storage and use of cooking gas cylinders inside the train coach and all other relevant, attendant factors. (PTI)