20220704 Patna: Fire in diesel electric multiple unit locomotive near Raxaul creates panic
India Jul 04 2022 “Automobile & Railway”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Patna: Fire in diesel electric multiple unit locomotive near Raxaul creates panic
Updated: 2022-07-04
PATNA/MOTIHARI: Hundreds of passengers travelling by the Raxaul-Narkatiaganj DEMU special passenger train (05541) had a narrow escape on Sunday morning after a fire broke out in the rear locomotive of the train on the Raxaul-Narkatiaganj section of Samastipur division of the East Central Railway (ECR). The incident caused panic among passengers who started jumping off the coaches to save their lives. However, there was no casualty or injury to any passenger in the incident.
According to ECR chief public relations officer (CPRO) Birendra Kumar, the train had left Raxaul at 5.10am.
Hardly had it reached near Bhelva home signal around 5.25am when the station master of Bhelva noticed the fire in the rear locomotive and alerted both the loco pilots and guard of the train about it.
The train was immediately brought to a halt as a precautionary measure near the home signal, he said.
On receiving information, the fire brigade team rushed to the spot from Raxaul around 5.55am and tamed the fire around 7.20am. Prior to that, the rear locomotive was separated from other coaches around 6.35am, the CPRO said, adding the train was running with a load composition of eight coaches.
According to the CPRO, the train later resumed its onward journey towards Narkatiaganj around 7.30am with passengers aboard the train.
Meanwhile, Samastipur division has ordered a departmental probe into the cause behind the locomotive fire, sources said, adding prima facie it appeared to be a case of some technical faults.
It may be recalled that 10 locomotives and 60 coaches were set afire recently during the statewide massive protests against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for the short-term recruitment in the armed forces.
Web Source: The Times of India