Chennai | The Southern Railway on Saturday announced that a statutory inquiry will be held on August 27 regarding the fire in a railway coach in Madurai, which left nine people dead.

A M Chowdhary, Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle, Bengaluru, will hold the inquiry on Sunday at the DRM's conference Hall, Divisional Railway Manager's office Complex, Madurai.

Any member of the public having knowledge about the incident and matter connected therewith and desiring to give evidence may do so at the Madurai inquiry or write to the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle, 2nd Floor, Rail Sanraksha Bhavan, Bengaluru – 560 023, an official release here said.

At least nine pilgrims bound for Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu met with a tragic end when a fire broke out inside a stationary train compartment at the Madurai railway station in the small hours of Saturday, the Southern Railway said.

It also said a gas cylinder "illegally" taken inside the coach led to the blaze.