Over 1,500 passengers escape unhurt after Karmabhoomi Express fire in Punjab
Three coaches were engulfed and a fourth partially damaged near Sarai Banjara railway station on Friday afternoon.
More than 1,500 passengers on the Karmabhoomi Express escaped unhurt after a fire broke out in several coaches near Sarai Banjara railway station in Punjab's Patiala district on Friday. According to Rediff, the train was travelling from Amritsar to New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal when the blaze occurred on the Rajpura-Sirhind railway section.
The fire engulfed three coaches and partially damaged a fourth. Ambala Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Vinod Kumar Bhatia said the fire initially started in one coach but spread to others due to strong winds. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Ambala Division Yashanjit Singh stated that three general coaches were primarily affected while a fourth suffered minor damage.
Railway officials immediately shut down both overhead equipment (OHE) lines and the loco pilot and guard detached the affected coaches to prevent further spreading. No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident, according to reports from Rediff and The Federal.
The district administration and railway teams arranged two special trains to ferry passengers to their destinations. Urban Acres reported that Punjab Transport buses, local vehicles, food, and water were also provided, while a local gurdwara organised a langar.
An inquiry has been launched to determine the cause of the blaze. Ambala DRM Vinod Bhatia said a detailed forensic investigation would be conducted to establish the cause of the fire.