Tata-Ernakulam Express Catches Fire: One Dead, Two AC Coaches Gutted Near Elamanchili

• A massive fire erupted on the Tata-Ernakulam Express near Elamanchili, Visakhapatnam district, after midnight.
• Alert loco pilots stopped the train, averting a major disaster, but two AC coaches were completely gutted.
• One passenger, Chandrasekhar Sundar (70), died in the B1 AC coach; many others escaped with minor injuries.
• Passengers were evacuated, and alternative coaches arranged; train services on Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada line disrupted.
• Investigation ordered into the cause, initially suspected as a technical fault in brakes.

Why It Matters: Timely action by loco pilots saved many lives despite one fatality and significant damage.