New Delhi, Aug. 26: The Gautami Express fire that charred 32 people was ignited by a “highly inflammable” substance under a seat in coach S-10 and may have been sabotage, a preliminary report has said.

Disclosing the provisional findings of the commissioner of railway safety, Secunderabad, an official said unidentified persons might have planted the substance — either liquid or solid — that sparked the August 1 blaze on the train.

Starting from S-10, the fire spread to five coaches of the train running between Secunderabad and Kakinada, he said. The seat covers, made of some combustible material, apparently fed the flames. Most passengers were asleep at that time.

The official, however, cautioned that R.P. Agarwal’s report had yet to conclusively establish if the fire was an accident or an act of sabotage.

“If it was an accident, the person carrying the inflammable material died in the fire. If it was an act of sabotage, the person may have got off the train after keeping the material there. He probably ignited it using some kind of a timer, giving himself enough time to get off. It may become clear in the final report,” the official said.

The report has apparently suggested that fire extinguishers, present only in AC coaches, should be provided in sleeper compartments, too. The absence of the extinguishers may have contributed to the deaths.

The official said most of the passengers were burnt to death while some died of suffocation. There was no witness to provide any crucial information.

The fire started around 1.15am when the train, running at 75kmph, was between Kesamudram and Talapusapalli stations of the South Central Railway. The flames possibly originated from the floor level and spread in less than two minutes, the report said.

In the absence of witnesses, the commissioner of railway safety has had to rely on forensic experts and fire department staff, the official said.

Even the train staff apparently heard no explosion. “They only saw thick smoke billowing out of the coach suddenly,” he said.

The toll could have been higher had the railway staff not delinked the burning bogies from the 10 coaches at the front and the nine at the back of the train.

The rail safety commissioner has, however, ruled out a short circuit after questioning railway electricians. “He (Agarwal) even quizzed the electricians and technical staff who inspected the train before it started. There was nothing abnormal reported at that time,” the official said.

Patrolmen along the railway line, station masters and gatekeepers between Secunderabad and Kesamudram were also questioned.