The railway helpline numbers are: 033-26413660, 033-26402243 and 032-62220518.
An Australian woman and two children were among seven passengers charred to death after a fire broke out in two AC coaches of the Dehradun-bound Doon Express in the district early today with authorities suspecting the hand of miscreants.
The fire, which broke out at around 3 AM in B-1 AC coach and then spread to B-2 AC coach, was spotted between Gomo and Nimiaghat Railway stations, Railway Protection Force Divisional Commandant Sashi Kumar told PTI.
Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi told reporters in Delhi that the involvement of miscreants in the fire could not be ruled out.
The Australian woman was identified as SK Allone alias Kati Scanlan, DRM (Dhanbad) Sudhir Kumar told reporters in Dhanbad.
Three other Australian women were MS Rose alias Pshiopi, CM Joseph alias Naomi and SB Ezone alias Proywyn Smith, who were with Allone, were injured, he said.
Smith was referred to the Bokaro General Hospital for inhaling smoke, he said.
All the four Australian women were researchers headed for Bodh Gaya and had been in India for the past three months. They had boarded the train at Howrah last night.
The other deceased passengers identified were 4-year-old Archita Thakur, 8-year-old Mahjuvi Ali Akhtar, 25-year-old Dr Anumita Singh and Usha Nagar.
Shaukat Ali, a passenger who lost his daughter Mahjuvi, told reporters that he woke up to flames, smoke and commotion in the B-1 coach.
Ali told reporters that one of the passengers pulled the chain to stop the train and helped many passengers, who numbered 128 in the two coaches, to disembark.
According to him, the fire broke out at around 2:30am, while another passenger said that the train was then approaching the Jain pilgrim centre at Parasnath.
The Railway Minister has announced ex-gratia of Rs5 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed in the fire and Rs 25,000 for the passengers of the two affected coaches.
Railway sources in Kolkata said senior officers of the East Central Railway, including Shri Sudhir Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager, and Additional General Manager along with other principal heads of departments from the headquarters, reached the site by special trains to supervise rescue and restoration work.
The sources said that the line was cleared from Gomoh at 8:30 am when the rear coaches of the train were taken to Pareshnath station for attachment with the front portion. It left Pareshnath at 9:55 hours.
The East Central Railway arranged two AC 3-tier coaches at Gaya.
The Commissioner Railway Safety, Eastern Circle, has been asked to inquire into the fire and submit a report at the earliest.
The Railway Helpline numbers are: 033-26413660, 033-26402243 and 032-62220518.
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