A fire broke out in two coaches of Patalkot Express near Bhadai railway station of Malpura Police Station in Agra. The train (14624) was going from Firozpur in Punjab to Seoni in Madhya Pradesh.
At least nine passengers were injured after the fire broke out in the third and fourth coaches from the engine around 3.45 pm.
Indian Railways said that the train was immediately stopped and no injuries to any person have been reported.
“Smoke was reported on the train Patalkot Express between Agra- Dholpur. The smoke was noticed in the GS coach, 4th coach from the engine. The train was immediately stopped and Coach detached. No injuries to any person,” ANI reported quoting Indian Railways.
Agra Railway Division PRO Prashasti Srivastava said the cause of the fire was not immediately known. “A fire incident in Patalkot Express has been reported between Bhandai and Jajau in NCR (North Central Railway), Agra Division…. Two coaches have been completely burnt. Since two adjacent coaches have also been affected, a total of four coaches have been detached from the train…. The situation is under control,” she said.
The train left for its destination at 8.50 pm after accommodating the passengers of the affected coaches in other coaches, a railway official said. Dr Prashant Gupta, Principal of S N Medical College in Agra, said that a total of nine people were admitted to hospitals.
“Seven were admitted to my hospital and two to a nearby hospital. Three of them have already been discharged from both hospitals. At present five patients in my hospital and one in the other hospital are being treated. All of them have minor burn injuries,” he said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) of the Agra Police Commissionerate Sonam Kumar said five fire tenders and a forensic team reached the spot after the fire was reported.
Earlier this month, at least four were killed and around 90 passengers injured after six coaches of the North-East Superfast Express in Bihar’s Buxar.
On June 2, a major train derailment took place in Odisha’s Balasore in which at least 291 passengers were killed and almost a thousand were injured. It is considered one of the biggest train accidents in the last two decades.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)