On 27 February 2002 , the train was stopped outside Godhra Junction railway station because of the emergency chain being pulled . The train was then attacked and four coaches were burned by a large mob . It has been alleged that the attack was the result of a conspiracy hatched by local Muslims . 58 people , including some Hindu pilgrims who were returning from the holy city of Ayodhya , were trapped and killed in the burning train . That incident is perceived as the trigger for the widespread 2002 Gujarat riots that followed in Godhra as well as the rest of Gujarat in which more than a thousand individuals died , thousands more were rendered homeless and property worth hundreds of crores was lost
attacked
Godhra train burning
Sabarmati Express