Anakapalli, Dec 29 : A 70-year-old man was charred to death while several other passengers managed to escape after a fire broke out in two air-conditioned coaches of the Tata Nagarâ??Ernakulam Express (Train No. 18189) at Duvvada in Andhra Pradesh's Anakapalli district in the early hours of Monday, police said.

According to preliminary information, the train, which was travelling from Tatanagar to Ernakulam via Visakhapatnam district, caught fire at around 1.30 a.m. after crossing Duvvada.

Flames were reported in the B1 and M2 air-conditioned coaches, which were positioned next to the pantry car.

A railway police official stated that the incident was first reported by the loco pilots near a railway point close to Yelamanchili, after which the train was immediately brought to a halt at the station.

However, before fire services could reach the spot, the blaze spread rapidly and completely engulfed the two AC coaches, gutting them entirely.

As thick smoke filled the compartments, panic gripped the passengers, who rushed out onto the platforms, many of them confused and unsure about the situation.

Railway officials said that all passengers were evacuated safely, bringing relief to both travellers and authorities.

They, however, confirmed that one passenger lost his life in the incident.

The deceased was identified as Chandrasekhar Sundar (70), a resident of Vijayawada, who was reportedly trapped inside the B1 AC coach and died due to severe burn injuries.

The train eventually arrived at Anakapalli nearly four hours behind its scheduled time.

Railway sources indicated that after the train departed Anakapalli, sparks and flames were noticed near Narsingaballi, allegedly due to the brakes of the B1 AC coach overheating and catching fire.

Firefighting teams from Anakapalli, Elamanchili and Nakkapalli rushed to the location and worked for several hours to bring the fire under control.

Despite sustained efforts, all passenger belongings inside the two affected coaches were completely destroyed in the blaze.

Senior railway officials reached the station to assess the situation and monitor relief measures.

As a precaution, ambulances were stationed at the site.

In the cold night, hundreds of passengers were forced to wait at the station for several hours as officials worked to manage the aftermath of the incident.

/IANS