Woman, set on fire in empty train compartment, dies
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Kannur: A woman, who suffered serious burn injuries after she was set afire by a man inside an empty compartment of the Kannur-Ernakulam Executive express earlier on Monday, has died.
According to the police, the shocking incident occurred around 4.40 AM. The woman, Fathima (41), who suffered around 40 per cent burns, ran out of the compartment screaming in pain when she was noticed by others trying to board the train.
The train was to embark on its journey at around 5 AM.
The woman and a man had been seen quarrelling in the platform shortly before the incident, railway sources said.
Police are on the lookout for the man, who is said to have allegedly set the woman on fire after emptying a liquor bottle on her and he escaped in the melee.
Fathima, hailing from Kozhikode district, was first rushed to a district hospital here and later to the Kozhikode medical college hospital where she succumbed to the burn injuries.
Following the incident, the compartment was detached and the train left for its onward journey. Railway sources said at least two seats were burnt.
The incident comes four years after the brutal rape and murder of Soumya, who was pushed out from a deserted ladies compartment of a running passenger train on Feb 1, 2011 near Vallatholnagar in Thrissur district while she was on her way home from work in Kochi.
