A massive fire broke out in the Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express in the early hours of Sunday (May 17) in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh. According to railway officials, there were 68 passengers in the compartment when the fire was detected. The fire broke out in B-1 coach and its attached SLR (Seating cum Luggage Rake) coach of train number 12431 between Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations under Kota division of West-Central Railway at around 5:15 am. No casualties or injuries have been reported so far.
Seeing smoke and flames coming out of the compartment, the train guard immediately alerted the loco pilot, after which the train was stopped and emergency evacuation procedure was initiated. To prevent further spread of the fire, the overhead electric (OHE) supply was immediately switched off and the affected coach was separated from the train. With the help of Railway Protection Force (RPF), railway staff and other officials, the passengers were immediately evacuated and the compartment was evacuated in about 15 minutes. As a precaution, nearby coaches were also evacuated.
“All passengers of the affected coach were evacuated safely. There is no report of any injury to any passenger or railway staff. OHE supply was immediately stopped and the affected B-1 coach was separated from the rake,” West Central Railway, Kota division said in a statement.
As soon as information about the incident was received, relief and rescue teams from Kota Railway Division were sent to the spot. Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Anil Kalra, including senior railway officials, police and fire department teams reached the spot to monitor the rescue and rehabilitation work.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Kota Division, Saurabh Jain said that the Railway Administration is arranging additional coaches from Kota and after the completion of the operational formalities, the remaining part of the train can continue its journey. The incident also affected the Delhi-Mumbai railway route, where rail traffic was disrupted for about two hours due to rescue work and security checks.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and the railway administration has started investigating the matter. Officials are investigating the affected compartment and associated equipment to determine the source of the fire.
It is noteworthy that this is the second such incident within two weeks. Earlier on Friday evening, May 15, a fire broke out in two air-conditioned coaches of Hyderabad-Jaipur Special Express at Nampally railway station. According to railway officials, the fire broke out in B1 and B2 coaches of 3-tier AC of the Jaipur-bound train at 7 pm. There was no loss of life in that incident either.
Also read:
Son of Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar arrested in POCSO case
India is a land of opportunities, inspired by both technology and humanity: Prime Minister Modi!
Number of judges increased in Supreme Court, President approved the ordinance
Statue of Maa Vagdevi installed in Bhojshala; Regular worship started
Comments are closed.