Mumbai: Nine passengers were reported dead and four others injured when three reserved coaches of Dehradun Express caught fire near Dahanu early this morning.
Eyewitnesses said, fire first broke out in the rear portion of S3 coach, and then it spread to S2 and S4 coaches.
Passengers who had shut the windows because of winter were suffocated as smoke spread through the coaches. Railway officials put the death toll at 6, but police officials said, nine persons have died so far.
The railway gateman posted between Dahanu Road and Gholwad was the first to spot the coaches on fire. He immediately alerted senior officials and the train was stopped.
