A pantry car of the Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express caught fire between the Dharamtul and Sonuabari stations in the Lumding-Guwahati section of the Lumding Division of Northeast Frontier Railway around 4.15 a.m. on Tuesday. No casualty or injuries were reported. The train was bound for Delhi.
Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), N.F. Railway Sugato Lahiri, stated in a release that the affected coach was immediately isolated and the fire was extinguished with the help of fire brigade personnel. The approximate cost of the pantry car coach is Rs. 1.80 crore.
The CPRO stated that an enquiry had been ordered into the incident. “Electrical short circuit is suspected to be the cause of the fire. However, the actual cause can be confirmed only after the enquiry,” he said.
Our Gulbarga Staff Reporter writes:
Railway Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge told journalists in Gulbarga that he has called for a report on the fire accident.
The train was in motion when the fire was noticed. “I have called for a full report about the incident,” Mr. Kharge said.
He said 15 workers, who were in the pantry car, jumped to safety after the train came to a halt. The fire had engulfed the whole bogie and the fire tenders put down the flames after a two-hour struggle. The pantry car was detached later and the train was allowed to make its onward journey to New Delhi.
