Fire in coal carrying goods trains

Rayagada:  At least 20 coal carrying wagons of two goods trains caught fire in Odisha's Rayagada district on Saturday, official sources said here.

The fire was believed to have broken out in the two trains, which were on way to Bissam-Cuttack from Rayagada, near Kalyansinghpur station, about 15 km from here.

After noticing the flames, the authorities detained the trains in the next station at Therubali, they said adding that 16 wagons of one train caught fire while in the second train four wagons were affected.

No one was injured nor the railway traffic hampered, they said.

The district was experiencing heat conditions with the mercury level hovering over 40 degree Celsius today. The fire might have broken out due to heat atmosphere, the sources said.

Fire brigade from Rayagada and Bissam-Cuttack were pressed into service and effort was on to extinguish the blaze, the sources said.