Seven passengers, including two children, were burnt to death and at least 12 were injured when two coaches of the Howrah-Dehradun Express caught fire in the Giridih district of Jharkhand state in India Tuesday morning.

A blast in a gas cylinder in an air-conditioned coach at 3 a.m. is said to be the reason for the accident. The fire spread to one more coach. The Railways is conducting an inquiry into the accident.

Seven persons, including two children, were charred to death after the fire broke out in an AC coach and then spread to another AC coach, Railway Protection Force Divisional Commandant Sashi Kumar told PTI news agency.

Four Australian women traveling in the coach had suffered minor injuries and had been admitted to the Railway Divisional Hospital in Dhanbad, he added.

The Railways has set up a helpline for relatives of the passengers. The helpline numbers are; +9133-26413660, +9133-26402243 and +9132-62220518.

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