Fire breaks out in Amritsar-Saharsa Garib Rath Express in Punjab; one injured
AC coach catches fire near Sirhind station; one woman sustains minor injuries, passengers evacuated, and three coaches detached
A fire broke out in a coach of the Amritsar–Saharsa Garib Rath Express near Sirhind railway station on Saturday morning (October 18), officials said.
According to the Railway Board, one person sustained minor injuries in the incident, the cause of which is yet to be determined.
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Smoke detected
The fire broke out at around 7:30 a.m. when the train (number 12204) was travelling from Amritsar. A Government Railway Police (GRP) official said smoke was detected in one of the train’s air-conditioned coaches.
A passenger pulled the alarm chain to stop the train, following which all passengers were safely evacuated from the affected coach, the official added.
The fire soon engulfed coach G-19, while two adjoining coaches sustained minor damage. The three coaches were detached from the rest of the train, and fire tenders were called in immediately, the GRP official said.
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Train to resume journey
The Railway Board confirmed that one person suffered minor injuries. A 32-year-old woman sustained burn injuries and was taken to the Civil Hospital in Fatehgarh Sahib, said Rattan Lal, Station House Officer of GRP Sirhind.
Officials said that once the fire was detected, passengers from the affected coach were promptly shifted to other coaches.
The train will resume its journey to its destination shortly, they added.
(With agency inputs)