New Delhi:
A massive fire broke out in one of the air-conditioned coaches of a Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam this morning, with officials saying that no one was injured in the incident.
The fire broke out around 5:15 am in the B-1 coach carrying 68 passengers. The incident occurred between Vikramgarh Alot and Luni Richha stations, officials said.
The fire also damaged the second luggage-cum-guard van (SLR) attached behind the B-1 coach.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said.
The affected coach was detached from the rake, and the overhead electric supply (OHE) was switched off to ensure safety.
A video showed thick, dense plumes of black smoke billowing high into the air from the detached rake. The fire also spread to some trees near the railway tracks.
Massive Fire On Delhi-Bound Rajdhani Express In Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam, Passengers Rescued
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All the passengers were safely rescued from the train, and arrangements were made to accommodate them in other coaches for the journey up to Rajasthan’s Kota, the railways said.
The affected guard van and the coach were detached from the rake, and the train resumed its journey at around 9.45 am, West Central Railway’s chief public relations officer Harshit Shrivastava told the news agency PTI.
An additional coach will be attached in Kota to restore the train’s full capacity.
The train, 12431 Rajdhani Express, departed Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram on Friday and was scheduled to reach Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station at 12:30 pm today.
The train had covered about 2,500 kilometres and was about 650 kilometres from the national capital when the fire broke out.
Train Ops Hit
The incident disrupted rail traffic on the route, affecting the schedules of at least 18 trains.
Some trains were halted at different stations following the incident.
The Avadh Express, a train between Mumbai (Bandra Terminus) and Barauni Junction in Bihar, the Mumbai Central–Duronto Express, which operates between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Mumbai, the Hazrat Nizamuddin–Pune Special train, the Haridwar–Bandra Terminus Express, and the New Delhi–Indore Express were among the trains that were affected.
(With inputs from Shakir Ali)