<p>It was a narrow escape for many in the D1 coach of the Alappuzha - Kannur executive express (Train no. 16307) on Sunday as a youth set fire after pouring inflammable liquid, believed to be petrol.</p>.<p>The incident took place by around 9.20 pm, hardly ten minutes after the train left Kozhikode railway station.</p>.<p>Kannur native Latheesh, who was among a batch of alumni of the Kannur engineering college, said that the youth in red dress and wearing the cap came from the next coach.</p>.<p> "He opened caps of two bottles and poured the liquid randomly. It fell of passengers and seats in some rows. I felt the danger and swiftly moved away. By that time the youth set fire and it spread swiftly. I escaped with burns on my hair and my mobile phone also sustained damages in the fire. Couple of my friends suffered burns. The passengers were running helter-skelter screaming. The passengers managed to put out the fire. Adding to the scare of the passengers, the coach was on a river over bridge while the train stopped," said Latheesh.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/got-clues-on-train-fire-accused-says-kerala-police-chief-flaws-in-rail-safety-exposed-1206186.html" target="_blank">'Got clues on train fire accused,' says Kerala Police chief; flaws in rail safety exposed</a></strong></p>.<p>Since it was Sunday there were not much passengers in the coach. Otherwise the casualty would have been more, he added.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the incident also exposed flaws in rail safety. Even as carrying inflammable substances in trains is prohibited the accused managed to enter the train with highly inflammable liquid. The accused entered a reservation coach even as he was not having a reserved train ticket.</p>.<p>"We have been constantly taking up the concerns over safety of rail passengers. Most trains do not have adequate police security even after gruesome attacks on passengers," said Liyons J, secretary of Friends on Rails, a forum of railway passengers in Kerala.</p>.<p>The authorities should take measures to ensure properly functioning surveillance cameras at all stations and ensure that unreserved passengers did not enter reserved coaches, he said.</p>.<p>Police helpline numbers are also prominently exhibited on train coaches, passengers lament. </p>
<p>It was a narrow escape for many in the D1 coach of the Alappuzha - Kannur executive express (Train no. 16307) on Sunday as a youth set fire after pouring inflammable liquid, believed to be petrol.</p>.<p>The incident took place by around 9.20 pm, hardly ten minutes after the train left Kozhikode railway station.</p>.<p>Kannur native Latheesh, who was among a batch of alumni of the Kannur engineering college, said that the youth in red dress and wearing the cap came from the next coach.</p>.<p> "He opened caps of two bottles and poured the liquid randomly. It fell of passengers and seats in some rows. I felt the danger and swiftly moved away. By that time the youth set fire and it spread swiftly. I escaped with burns on my hair and my mobile phone also sustained damages in the fire. Couple of my friends suffered burns. The passengers were running helter-skelter screaming. The passengers managed to put out the fire. Adding to the scare of the passengers, the coach was on a river over bridge while the train stopped," said Latheesh.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/got-clues-on-train-fire-accused-says-kerala-police-chief-flaws-in-rail-safety-exposed-1206186.html" target="_blank">'Got clues on train fire accused,' says Kerala Police chief; flaws in rail safety exposed</a></strong></p>.<p>Since it was Sunday there were not much passengers in the coach. Otherwise the casualty would have been more, he added.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the incident also exposed flaws in rail safety. Even as carrying inflammable substances in trains is prohibited the accused managed to enter the train with highly inflammable liquid. The accused entered a reservation coach even as he was not having a reserved train ticket.</p>.<p>"We have been constantly taking up the concerns over safety of rail passengers. Most trains do not have adequate police security even after gruesome attacks on passengers," said Liyons J, secretary of Friends on Rails, a forum of railway passengers in Kerala.</p>.<p>The authorities should take measures to ensure properly functioning surveillance cameras at all stations and ensure that unreserved passengers did not enter reserved coaches, he said.</p>.<p>Police helpline numbers are also prominently exhibited on train coaches, passengers lament. </p>