Just two days before seven persons were burnt to death onboard the Howrah-Dehra Dun Express in Jharkhand, railway personnel themselves transported 200 litres of diesel onboard a passenger train, putting at risk the lives of hundreds of passengers and violating all norms.

The worst part of this illegal transportation was that the diesel, stored in two barrels, spilled and spread across S6 coach of the Bangalore- Kacheguda Express, creating panic among passengers who demanded action against the personnel.
On November 20, a permanent way inspector of the South Western Railway's Bangalore Division got two barrels of diesel, meant to be transported to Doddaballapur, loaded onto the Kacheguda Express at Yelahanka.
Media from Hindupur reported that passengers got agitated after knowing about loading of diesel onto the train, which started leaking from the barrels. Angry passengers did not allow the diesel to be unloaded at Doddaballapur. At Hindupur, they lodged a complaint with the Railway Police. Sources in the Railways stated that once transportation of diesel onboard the train came to be known, the train should have been detained till the substance was offloaded. However, it was allowed to proceed from Yelahanka to Hindupur, they said.