How loco pilot averted tragedy after flames engulfed Amritsar–Saharsa Garib Rath Express coach in Punjab

A fire was reported in the Amritsar–Saharsa Garib Rath Express (12204) near Sirhind station in Punjab on Saturday morning. The train was en route to Saharsa Junction in Bihar via Delhi from Ludhiana when the fire was reported, which caused minor injuries to a few passengers, reports said.

 

Regional media reports said that the flames were spotted in coach number 19 of the train due to a short circuit. The loco pilot applied the emergency brake to immediately stop the train, letting the passengers get off. A short circuit is said to have caused the fire inside the moving train. However, this can only be confirmed after a thorough investigation.

 

It took first responders close to an hour to bring the flames under control, Hindi media reports said. As many as three compartments of the Amritsar–Saharsa Garib Rath Express were damaged in the fire. Sirhind GRP SHO Ratan Lal reportedly told Jansatta that casualties were avoided as passengers were evacuated from the coaches in time.

 

The Ministry of Railways confirmed the incident. "A fire broke out in a coach of Train No. 12204 Amritsar-Saharsa at Sirhind Station in Punjab earlier today. No casualties were reported. Fire has been extinguished," it said in an official statement.

Train No. 12204 Amritsar-Saharsa Garib Rath Express runs from Amritsar on three days -- Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. The 23 halts of the train are Beas, Jalandhar City, Phagwara, Dhandari Kalan, Ambala Cantt (NT), Delhi, Hapur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Hardoi, Lucknow NR, Gorakhpur, Deoria Sadar, Siwan, Chhapra, Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Dalsingh Sarai, Barauni, Begu Sarai, Khagaria, and S. Bakhtiyarpur.

India