Patna, Aug 3 (IANS) A massive fire broke out on the Samastipur-Saharsa Passenger train (63344) at Platform No. 2 of Simri Bakhtiyarpur railway station in Bihar’s Saharsa district at around 3:25 a.m. on Monday, triggering panic among passengers and railway staff.
According to initial information, the fire started near the train’s middle engine and rapidly spread to three coaches.
Thick smoke and towering flames created a chaotic situation at the station.
A large number of passengers were travelling on the train when the fire broke out. As soon as they noticed the flames, passengers began getting off the coaches.
A potentially serious tragedy was averted as all passengers reportedly managed to evacuate safely.
Passenger Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Saharsa, said he initially felt intense heat coming from underneath the coach.
When he stepped down to investigate, he saw flames and immediately alerted fellow passengers.
Another passenger, Raju Kumar, said he had boarded the train at Mansi station for Simri Bakhtiyarpur.
According to him, shortly after the train arrived at the station, a small fire was noticed near the engine, which quickly developed into a major blaze.
Once the station authorities ordered passengers to evacuate, panic spread among those inside the coaches.
After receiving information about the fire, multiple fire tenders and railway officials reached the station.
Firefighters launched an immediate operation and eventually brought the blaze under control.
The incident disrupted railway operations at Simri Bakhtiyarpur, with several trains affected.
Station Superintendent Sanjay Kumar Sajjan said services were significantly disrupted following the incident.
Trains, including the Kosi Express (Saharsa-Patna), Janaki Express (Manihari-Jaynagar), Saharsa-Samastipur Passenger and Shravani Special (Saharsa-Deoghar), were delayed.
According to the Station Superintendent, a short circuit is suspected to have caused the fire, although the exact cause is yet to be established.
Railway and local administration officials reached the spot and supervised the relief and firefighting operations.
The Railways have initiated an inquiry to determine the precise cause of the incident.
Officials are also assessing the extent of damage caused to the three affected coaches.
–IANS
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