AGRA: The Indian Railways has initiated an investigation into a harrowing incident that occurred on Wednesday when a fire broke out in two coaches of the Patalkot Express. The incident took place shortly after the train departed from the Agra Cantonment station on its journey from Firozpur to Shivi in Madhya Pradesh.
A senior railway official revealed that the fire began just after the train passed the Bhandai railway station following its departure from Agra Cantonment. The swift and intense blaze initially engulfed one of the coaches and quickly spread to an adjacent one. Passengers on board the affected coaches had to make a hasty escape, with some sustaining burn injuries during the evacuation.
The gravity of the situation became evident as the railway official explained, “If the train had not stopped when it did, the casualties would have been very high.” In response to the incident, the North Central Railways Headquarters has ordered a forensic inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire. Currently, the two burned coaches have been stationed at the Jajau Railway Station as part of the ongoing investigation.
Passenger Ekansh Rathore, who was on the affected coach described the chaotic scene. He disclosed that as the coach began filling with smoke, he pulled the emergency alarm chain, prompting the train to stop. This timely intervention allowed passengers to safely evacuate the coach. The exact cause of the fire remains uncertain at this stage, but speculation suggests it could be related to a short circuit in the electrical system of the coach. Another passenger, Mukesh Rajput, reported hearing a loud explosion just before the fire erupted. Two passengers who were in close proximity to the blaze suffered serious burn injuries and were promptly taken to the hospital by railway staff.
The fire also resulted in significant damage to the luggage of many passengers in the affected coaches. However, the actions of the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE), who used a fire extinguisher to control the blaze, played a vital role in ensuring the safe evacuation of passengers from the burning coach.
