CHANDIGARH: A fire broke out in four coaches of the Amritsar-bound Karmabhoomi Express near Rajpura in Punjab’s Patiala district on Friday, triggering panic among passengers. No casualties have been reported so far, as all passengers were safely evacuated.
The fire was first reported in the fifth coach from the engine of train No. 12508, which runs between Amritsar and New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, shortly after it departed from Sadhugarh railway station in Fatehgarh Sahib at 12.58 pm.
The fire was first noticed in the fifth coach from the engine of train No. 12508, which runs between Amritsar and New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, shortly after it left Sadhugarh railway station in Fatehgarh Sahib at 12.58 pm. The blaze spread to other coaches, with thick smoke and flames engulfing the affected compartments.
The loco pilot and the train guard immediately applied emergency brakes, bringing the train to a halt near Sarai Banjara railway station in the Sirhind-Rajpura section. Passengers scrambled to get off and fled towards nearby fields, while some reportedly jumped from the moving train.
Following the alert, railway authorities, police personnel and fire brigade teams rushed to the spot and launched firefighting and evacuation operations.
A short circuit is suspected to have triggered the fire, sources said, though the exact cause is yet to be officially confirmed.
A medical relief train carrying Accident Relief Medical Equipment (ARME) was dispatched from Ambala at 1.20 pm to assist in the emergency response.
Ambala Divisional Railway Manager Vinod Kumar Bhatia, who reached the spot to oversee the situation, said no injuries or casualties had been reported so far. He added that the exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
Railway officials are investigating the incident. Visuals from the spot showed flames and thick smoke rising from several coaches as emergency personnel responded.