Nine killed as train catches fire

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.

Samsung unveils curved UHD TVs

Las Vegas: Korean electronics giant Samsung today launched its most talked-about product, the curved ultra high definition (UHD) TV, and a range of products including tablets at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show.

The company unveiled a 105-inch screen UHD TV, which it claims is the world's largest curved UHD TV. The U9000 series includes 65-inch and 55-inch curved TVs. Besides, the 12.2-inch Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO tablets present mobile users with a display that offers a resolution of more than 4 million pixels.

The Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO line is completed by the Galaxy TabPRO 10.1-inch and 8.4-inch as well. The New Year also marks the debut of Samsung's Chef Collection, a range of premium kitchen appliances. It includes refrigerators, stoves, ovens, over-the-range microwaves and dishwashers that can clean without missing corners. Samsung also showcased a new washing machine and washer dryer with a maximum laundry capacity of about 25 kg.

The company did not reveal prices and global launch dates of these products. "Four trends are shaping the technology demands of consumers: connectivity, urbanisation, aging and new environmental and societal risks," Samsung Electronics co-CEO Boo-keun Yoon said. The home of the future has to protect, be flexible and be responsive and needs technology that will connect all the digital dots in the lives of consumers, he added.

"Samsung is in a better position to deliver solutions for the 'Home of the Future' than anybody else - helped by our broad product range, integrated development and manufacturing and our large global network of partners," Yoon said.

Samsung's Smart Home service puts consumers in control of devices and appliances in their homes with a single application. With a single application on a smart TV, digital camera, smartphone or wearable device like the Galaxy Gear, consumers can control home devices – ranging from washing machines to lights to air-conditioners – both at home and on the road.

The controlling device also responds to voice commands. Smart Home will initially offer three main services: Device Control to manage devices at home; Home View, to monitor homes in real-time through built-in cameras on appliances or a digital camera from their smartphone; and Smart Customer Service, which provides service alerts and assistance in servicing.