Chennai: Five persons, all hailing from Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested by the Tamil Nadu Railway Police in connection with Saturday’s blaze in a private train coach in Madurai in which nine persons perished.
“We have arrested Sathyaprakash Rastogi, Narendra Kumar, Deepak, Subham Kashyap and Hardik Sahani, who are from UP’s Sitapur district in connection with the blaze triggered by an LPG cylinder leakage on the coach. These five persons were working as support staff of the tour operator,” K Ponnusamy, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tamil Nadu Railway Police, Madurai, said on Monday.
Among the nine persons who died were two other support staff, who have been identified as Harish Kumar and Ankul Kashyap.
Cylinder was illegally brought in the coach
The Southern Railway had earlier said the cylinder was illegally brought in the coach. The gas leakage happened when they were preparing tea early in the morning.
“All the five have been arrested persons have been charged with having carried inflammable articles in the train in violation of Section 164 of Railway Act,” the officer said.
The police have also invoked Section 304 (2) of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and Section 285 of IPC for negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter against the accused. A judicial magistrate remanded the arrested persons in judicial custody till September 11.
Reason for the explosion
“Two gas cylinders were on the train. The rubber tube of the cylinder had developed leakage. They had attempted to plug it, but when they lighted the stove, it led to a blaze in the coach within seconds,” he explained.
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