SRIKAKULAM: A major mishap was averted by alert railway staff at Poondi railway station in Vajrapukottur mandal of the district Thursday.
Fire broke out in the engine of a coal-laden goods train going to Visakhapatnam from Palasa, due to a short circuit at the railway station.
The fire raged from the transformer of the engine when the train stopped at Poondi.
Alert staff immediately brought the fire under control before it could escalate into a major blaze. The engine was gutted in the incident, damaging an estimated `10 lakh property. The train services were not disrupted as the goods train proceeded ahead with another engine. Officials are investigating.