151001 India Fire in intercity AC coach sparks panic, no one hurt
India Oct 01 2015 “Automobile & Railway”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 0 or unknown Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Fire in intercity AC coach sparks panic, no one hurt
Updated: 2015-10-02-13:22
A major incident was averted when a fire broke out in an air-conditioned coach of a moving train at Indore railway station on Thursday evening. Fortunately, the fire was but doused by the time it reached Laxmibai Nagar Station, 5 km from the point it started from.
When passengers in A1 coach of Indore-Nizamuddin intercity train saw a cloud of smoke in the coach after the train departed from Indore railway station for Delhi at 4.00 pm. When flames leapt up, there was panic in the coach.
Kulbhushan Mittal, a passenger travelling in A1 coach, said, “After the train left Indore station, smoke started coming out from air-condition box causing suffocation. Later, when the train picked up speed, the leaping flames could be seen which created ruckus in the coach and passengers started crying for help.”
More than 30 passengers were on the coach. The smoke became visible from outside the train and officials were alerted immediately.
Vijiya Jain, another passenger travelling to Kota with her son, said, “Passengers raised alarm when the fire grew in the moving train and cried for help. Most of the passenger moved into the adjacent coach, while some were worried about their luggage.”
The train later was stopped at the Laxmibai Nagar station where electricians, technical and fire team reached the spot and extinguished the fire. “The fire was visible from outside and it could have turned into a major fire accident if the fire team would not have reached at the stop,” said a source at the railway station.
Station manager Rajvir Gopinathan said, “There was some technical problem in air-conditioned box of the train owing to heat. The team detached box and extinguished the fire. No casualties have been reported as all passengers went to the adjoining coaches. After fixing the problem, the train began its journey for Delhi.”
Though passengers complained that after the incident, wires were snipped and there was no electricity. “After the fire, there was no power and air passage in coach,” a passenger said.
Web Source: The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/Fire-in-intercity-AC-coach-sparks-panic-no-one-hurt/articleshow/49193433.cms