Death toll in India train fire rises to 47

HYDERABAD, India – The death toll from a fire on a train in southern India has climbed to 47, a government official here said on Monday.

District Collector B. Sridhar said 28 other passengers have been hospitalized with burns.

The fire was noticed by an official as the train passed through a railroad station early Monday.

The train was stopped and the coach that caught fire was detached from the rest of the train to prevent the blaze from spreading.

The fire was reported at Nellore, a town nearly 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh state.

Sridhar told The Associated Press that the fire is believed to have been caused by a short circuit in the coach.

Originally posted at 09:48 am | Monday, July 30, 2012