Panic gripped passengers on the Ernakulam Express after two coaches caught fire in the early hours at Yalamanchili railway station. The train was en route from Tatanagar to Ernakulam when flames erupted in the B1 coach. Quick action by the loco pilot and railway staff saved dozens of lives, but one elderly passenger died in the blaze. Both coaches were completely gutted. With 158 people onboard the affected coaches, the incident highlights the thin line between survival and disaster on India’s busy rail routes.