Alert staff avert major fire in Rajdhani

BHUBANESWAR: Timely response by the staff on board Bhubaneswar-bound Rajdhani Express helped in averting a major mishap on Saturday. The New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was detained near Khantapada station under Kharagpur division of South Eastern Railways for about two hours after smoke was spotted in its power car. It was allowed to move only after the fire was doused. Railway sources said smoke billowed from the power car after it caught fire possibly due to electric short circuit at about 12.50 pm. As the smoke entered B-1 coach, passengers were shifted to the next coaches.

The escort party on the train and on-duty guard noticed the fire and informed all authorities concerned and the nearby fire stations. “Three fire engines were pressed into service to bring the fire under control. No injury was reported and all passengers are safe. Timely action by the train staff averted a mishap as they informed the nearby stations which could mobilise fire tenders from Nilagiri and Khantapada,” said a spokesperson of East Coast Railway (ECoR). Movement of trains on both the lines was disrupted as overhead electric wires were immediately disconnected for safety reasons. The generator car was also disconnected from the rest of the train.

The Downline was first charged to ease traffic. Later, the Up line was charged after a team of experts from Kharagpur division thoroughly inspected the power carriage and other power units of Rajdhani Express. The train left for Bhubaneswar at around 3 pm with one generator car and all the passenger coaches. The rear generator car was later brought back. “All AC coaches of Rajdhani Express were running normal,” the spokesperson added. In January this year, a fire broke out in B-7 coach of New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express near Tilkanagar, a few kms from Rourkela railway station. There was no loss of life as railway staff had evacuated the passengers from the coach.