A coach of the stationary Sasaram-Patna passenger train caught fire on platform number 6 at Sasaram railway station under the Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) division of the East Central Railway (ECR) early on Monday morning. This incident occurred just a day after a similar blaze on the Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express in Madhya Pradesh.
Incident Details
According to railway sources, thick smoke was seen billowing out of coach D3, which was five coaches from the engine side, around 5:30 am. This triggered panic among railway staff and passengers present at the station. A fire brigade team immediately rushed to the spot and launched an operation to douse the flames. After nearly an hour of efforts, the blaze was brought under control around 6:30 am, the sources said.
No Casualties Reported
ECR’s chief public relations officer (CPRO) Saraswati Chandra said no casualties or injuries were reported in the incident as the affected coach was empty at the time of the fire. “The train was stationed at the platform when the incident occurred,” he said, adding that the exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
Train Departure Delayed
The Patna-bound passenger train, which was scheduled to leave Sasaram at 6:45 am, finally departed around 9:05 am after the situation was brought under control. The delay was necessary to ensure safety and complete the firefighting operations.
Investigation Ordered
The railways have ordered a probe into the fire incident to determine the cause of the blaze and assess whether any technical fault or negligence led to the incident, a senior official of the DDU said. The investigation will look into all possible factors, including electrical faults, maintenance issues, or human error.
This incident follows a similar fire on the Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express in Madhya Pradesh, raising concerns about railway safety. The railways have assured that all necessary measures are being taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
