CHANDIGARH: Three Garib Rath Express AC coaches, travelling from Amritsar to Saharsa in Bihar, caught fire near Sirhind railway station on Saturday morning. No casualties were reported.
The fire broke out around 7:30 am, when the train crossed the Sirhind station. As the train was moving at a slow speed, the train was immediately stopped.
Fire tenders were rushed to the spot to doze the fire after a prolonged effort, the fire was brought under control. Ambulances were also sent.
The civil and police authorities promptly arrived at the scene.
An official of the Government Railway Police (GRP) said that smoke was noticed in coach G-19. A passenger then pulled the emergency chain to stop the train. When the train came to a halt, passengers were safely evacuated from the affected coach and shifted to other coaches, to ensure their safety, the official said.
"The blaze engulfed the coach G-19 and also affected two adjacent coaches to some extent. All the three coaches were decoupled from the rest of the train, and fire tenders were called immediately to control the fire. A 32-year-old woman suffered minor burn injuries and was admitted to the Civil Hospital in Fatehgarh Sahib for treatment," he added.
The train remains stationary near Sirhind railway station as investigations and safety checks continue.