BENGALURU: A fire broke out in B1 coach of the stationary Mumbai-Bengaluru Udyan Express (Train No. 11301) on Platform 3 at Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Railway Station at 7.10 am on Saturday. There were no casualties as no passengers were inside the coach as the train had arrived from Mumbai at 5.45 am.
According to informed sources, initially it was thought that both B1 and B2 coaches were up in flames owing to the thick smoke. But after the fire was doused, it was confirmed that only B1 was on fire and only smoke was emanating from B2. A Railways official said that the train arrived at 5.45 am on Platform 3 and was stationed there for maintenance.
People who were on the platform alerted the Fire and Emergency Services personnel who reached the spot by 7.35 am and brought the fire under control by 9.10 am. The train was later moved to the yard for further investigation. Meanwhile, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has formed two teams to investigate the matter. A complaint has also been filed by the station master with the GRP.
Superintendent of Police, Railways, Soumyalatha SK told The New Sunday Express that preliminary investigation hinted at a short circuit as the reason for the fire. She said two teams have been formed- one will assess the CCTV camera footage and the second team will conduct a detailed inquiry and speak to the staff.
“All angles are being probed. It is a curious case as the train was stationed for maintenance for a very long time. Forensic experts and the dog squad were called. Preliminary evidence has been collected. The FSL report is expected in a week’s time after which there will be some clarity on the cause of the fire,” said another GRP official. Meanwhile, the arrival and departure of a few trains were affected owing to the fire. A few other trains were redirected to other platforms.