Uttar Pradesh residents, en route to a pilgrimage in Rameswaram, were among at least nine killed due to a fire that broke out in a train compartment in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
The victims had commenced their pilgrimage from Lucknow in a private party coach, with the majority of them originating from the UP capital and its neighboring regions.
Shiv Pratap Singh, the husband of Mithilesh Kumari, and his brother-in-law Satru Daman Singh, both of whom died in the incident, told Hindustan Times "The tour that we had planned turned into a lifetime nightmare."
Describing the incident, he said while they were sleeping, the travel agents' staff, responsible for arranging their tour package was making tea at around 4:30 am when the blast took place. "We were in the coach. The fire was very intense. My wife and my brother-in-law were seriously injured," he said.
While all of them were transported to the district hospital in Madurai, Singh's wife and brother-in-law succumbed to their injuries, whereas his sister-in-law and him were discharged after treatment.
"I saved four people by rescuing them but unfortunately could not save my wife and brother-in-law," said Singh who is a retired official of the state agriculture department.
He also appealed to the UP government for swift assistance in ensuring the timely return of the deceased bodies.
Credit : News18
