MUMBAI : Nine persons were charred to death in their sleep when a fire broke out in three coaches of the Bandra-Dehradun Express in neighbouring Thane district in the wee hours today, the second fire mishap on a train within a fortnight.

The fire erupted in one of the three coaches and soon spread to other two coaches when the passengers were sleeping at about 2.50 AM.

Among the nine dead, one is a woman and four are men while the rest were yet to be identified, said Western Railway PRO Sharat Chandra.

Four persons have sustained minor injuries, said police.

The affected coaches were S-2 S-3 and S-4. The maximum numbers of passengers were in S-4 (64) followed by 54 in S-2 and three in S-3.

Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge has expressed grief over the death of passengers and announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of those killed.

Rs one lakh will be given to those seriously injured and a sum of Rs 50,000 will be given to those who received minor injuries, Chairman, Railway Board, Arunendra Kumar said.

The commissioner of Railway Safety will conduct an inquiry into the fire incident, he said.

“The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. However, the fire has been put out and the train has made its forward journey,” Kumar said.

Railway sources said short circuit cannot be ruled out as burnt cables were found lying under the electric board of S-3 coach.

Chandra said that a gateman at a level crossing spotted the fire and immediately alerted the guard inside the train.

The guard subsequently informed the motorman following which the train was stopped.

“Due to alertness of the gateman, a major disaster was averted,” Chandra said.

The train was halted at Gholvad Railway Station near Dahanu road where the fire was brought under control.

Northern Railways have announced helpine numbers — 23342954 and 24355954 — to those seeking information on the train and passengers.

The accident comes within days of the Bangalore train tragedy. 26 people, including two children, were killed and 12 injured when a fire broke out in the Bangalore-Nanded Express on December 28. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI : In further retaliatory steps over the arrest of diplomat Devyani Khobragade, India has asked the US to “discontinue” commercial activities being undertaken from its embassy premises here by January 16.

India’s action comes ahead of the January 13 deadline for the indictment in New York of Khobragade, Deputy Consul General in New York, on visa fraud charges.

Acting tough, the Government has asked the embassy to stop commercial activities undertaken under the aegis of the American Community Support Association (ACSA), including restaurant/bar, video club, bowling alley, swimming pool, sports field, beauty parlour and gym.

The US has also been asked to provide the tax returns filed by it with Indian authorities for commercial activities which are afforded through ACSA to non-diplomatic persons, including private American citizens and their families, Government sources said here.

Indian authorities have cited the provision of such commercial facilities to non-diplomats as a violation of Article 41(3) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961.

The Convention states that “the premises of the mission must not be used in any manner incompatible with the functions of the mission as laid down in the present Convention or by other rules of general international law or by any special agreements in force between the sending and the receiving State.”

It is also understood the US diplomatic vehicles will now attract penalties for all traffic-related offences such as unauthorised parking, red light jumping, dangerous driving etc.

Necessary action against Vehicles with AF (Applied for) number plates is also on the cards.

A 1999-batch IFS officer, Khobragade was arrested on December 12 on charges of making false declarations in a visa application for her maid Sangeeta Richard. She was released on a USD 250,000 bond.

India has been demanding the withdrawal of the case against her and an apology from the US for the treatment meted out to the 39-year-old diplomat, including a strip search and detention with criminals after her arrest.

The incident led to strong protests by the Indian Government and widespread indignation in India. At the time of her arrest, Khobragade was the Deputy Consul General in New York. She was subsequently transferred to India’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

India has retaliated by downgrading privileges of a certain category of US diplomats among other steps last month.

US consular officials in four consulates in India are being issued new ID cards specifying the limited immunity which will not protect them from serious offences. This is in line with the restricted immunity given to India’s Consular officials in the US.

Families of American consular officials will no longer have diplomatic ID cards, an out of way privilege enjoyed by them in India. Families of Indian consular officials do not have any such privileges.

The US consular staff is now only permitted to import their requirements during the first six months on assuming office as is provided in the Vienna Convention for Consular Relations. Previously, they were allowed to import their requirements over the three year period of tenure. (AGENCIES)

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today sought to dispel apprehensions of the Indian diaspora on the state of the economy, saying the country was heading towards “better times” and there is no reason to despair about its present or worry about the future.
He also said that regardless of the outcome of the next elections, they will once again demonstrate the strength of India’s democracy and its institutions.
“I know that many of you have questions about the future of the Indian economy and concerns about social challenges, the shape of our polity and the issues of governance in our country. There is a perception in some quarters outside India that the country is losing its momentum of the past decade,” he said.
Singh said the issue is also amplified by the “political contestations in India, which are inevitably louder in the election season” that is now on the horizon.
“I wish to assure you that there is no reason to despair about our present or worry about our future. Indeed, as I have said earlier, we are heading into better times ahead and I would urge you to remain engaged in the future of this country with confidence and optimism,” the Prime Minister said at the 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here.
He said despite a number of external and domestic factors, “our economic fundamentals are strong.”
“Our economy has done well over the past decade. In the nine years since 2004, we averaged a healthy growth rate of 7.9 per cent per annum. There has been no doubt a slow down in the recent past, and we will probably end this year at the same level as last year with 5 per cent growth,” he said.
Singh pointed out that a number of international as well as domestic factors have contributed to this situation.
“Despite these challenges, our economic fundamentals remain strong. Our savings and investment rates are still over 30 per cent of our GDP and the entrepreneurial spirit in India is very much alive and kicking,” Singh said. (AGENCIES)