A major fire broke out in a train parked at the coaching depot at Puri railway station on Tuesday. One boggy of the train was reportedly gutted in the fire mishap.
Sources said that the train had come to the coaching depot for cleaning related works. As per initial reports, the fire was reported at the washing line. Subsequently, a massive operation was launched by the fire services department personnel to douse the flames.
Swift action was also launched to detach other coaches of the train to prevent the fire from spreading to other coaches. The exact reason behind the fire mishap is unclear.
Sources said that the incident occurred at around 12:30 pm. Senior officials of railways initiated measures to separate the coaches, said a senior official.
It is suspected that the fire might have been caused due to short-circuit in the battery-related compartment. However, only after a thorough investigation, the exact reason behind the fire mishap can be ascertained.
“An investigation will be conducted to ascertain the cause of fire. The train was being repaired. We will also review the condition of the battery. The fire has been completely contained,” said an official of the coaching depot.
Biswajit Sahu, CPRO, East Coast Railway said, “The fire was contained after detaching the affected coach. As fire broke from under the wheels where battery and other heavy equipment are stored, a detailed probe will be carried out in this regard. It is a rare case where fire is caused in other equipment and spread to battery. We will also ascertain whether there was some other reason behind the fire mishap.”
Sahu further informed that a divisional –level probe by senior officials will conduct the probe.