Dozens killed in India train fire

A fire engulfed a passenger car on a moving train in southern India on Monday, killing at least 47 people. Most of the passengers were asleep when the fire broke out on the overnight train from New Delhi to the south-eastern city of Chennai. A train station worker noticed the burning coach on the train as it passed through the town of Nellore, nearly 500 kilometres south of Hyderabad. Once the alarm was raised, the train was stopped and the passenger car detached from the rest of the train to prevent the blaze from spreading. The train was halted and the car evacuated – but not before the flames reached scores of passengers. Officials say the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit in the coach.

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