2 Rajdhani coaches gutted near Kota division
Kota, May 18 -- A fire broke out in two coaches of the Trivandrum-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express in the Kota rail division on Sunday morning, triggering panic among passengers and disrupting train movement after railway authorities launched a rescue operation between Vikramgarh Alot and Luniricha stations in Madhya Pradesh.
Senior divisional commercial manager Saurabh Jain said, "An Accident Relief Train (ART) was sent from Kota soon after information about the fire was received. All passengers from affected coaches were evacuated safely, and no casualties or injuries have been reported so far."
According to railway officials, the blaze erupted in the train's Third AC coach and the adjoining SLR (Seating-cum-Luggage Rake) coach. The fire spread rapidly within minutes, engulfing both coaches as passengers woke up to thick smoke and flames, the officials said.
The fire started around 5 am when most passengers were asleep in their cabins, officials said, adding that passengers panicked when smoke began filling the compartments. The train was immediately halted and passengers rushed out with their belongings to safety. However, several passengers reportedly left their luggage behind in the affected coaches, officials added.
Senior officials of the Kota rail division rushed to the spot. Medical teams, rescue personnel and railway relief teams were immediately dispatched.
Railway officials also detached the two affected coaches from the rest of the train to prevent fire from spreading.
Railway staff immediately shut down the overhead electric (OHE) power supply on the route, completely disrupting train movement on that section under the Kota rail division.
Preliminary probe suggests the fire may have been caused by a short circuit, though railway authorities said the exact reason was still under investigation....
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