Train fire kills 47 in Andhra Pradesh, India

Nellore - At least 47 people were killed when a train in southern India caught fire. Local officials state that the accident may have been caused by a short circuit.

The fire broke out early on Monday, as the New Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu Express was passing the town of Nellore, about 500 kms south of Hyderabad, in Andhra Pradesh state, India. There were 72 passengers on the train. The fire was apparently noticed by an official, as the train passed through the station. The train was then stopped, and the blazing coach was detached from the rest of the train, to prevent the fire from spreading. Some of the passengers managed to jump off the moving train before it came to a halt. However, at least 28 injured people have been taken to hospital. One of the passengers, Y Sampath, a software engineer, managed to escape the blaze. He told the Hindu newspaper, "I woke up after hearing loud screams. All I could see is black smoke." Sampath was travelling with his sister, who is missing, according to the newspaper. District Collector B. Sridhar told AP that the fire has now been extinguished, and said that an electrical short circuit is believed to have been the cause of the fire and that most passengers were asleep when the fire broke out.