Jabalpur: Fire in inspection coach at railway station; probe ordered

A fire erupted in an inspection coach parked at Jabalpur railway station's VIP siding on Tuesday morning. Railway staff noticed smoke and quickly extinguished the blaze. The coach was isolated, and a committee has been formed to investigate the incident.

A fire broke out in an inspection coach parked at the VIP siding of Jabalpur railway station on Tuesday morning, following which railway authorities promptly controlled the blaze and constituted a committee to investigate the incident, officials said.

According to railway officials, smoke was noticed coming out of the coach at around 7:20 am. Railway staff immediately responded and brought the situation under control.

Probe Ordered Into Coach Fire

West Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Harshit Srivastava said that the coach has been isolated and a committee has been constituted to investigate the incident. "An incident of fire was reported in an inspection coach parked at the VIP siding of Jabalpur station this morning. Staff noticed smoke at around 7:20 am and immediately took action to extinguish it. The coach has now been isolated and evidence is being collected. A committee has also been constituted to investigate the incident and submit its report," Srivastava told ANI.

He clarified that the coach was an inspection coach and not a regular passenger coach. It is used for inspection purposes. The reasons for the fire will be investigated and prima facie there is no information about the fire incident.

No Major Damage Reported

Meanwhile, Divisional Railway Manager, Jabalpur Division, Kamal Kumar Talreja said the coach was stationed in the siding, where coaches used for railway inspections are kept and there was no major damage caused by the incident. "This is a coach meant for the internal use of the Railways and has nothing to do with the general public. We do not use it in regular train services. It is used for inspections. The coach was locked and parked in the siding where such inspection coaches are kept. Smoke was noticed this morning and the staff immediately took action and secured the coach. There was no major damage. Some smoke emerged and a small flame was visible towards the upper portion, which was immediately controlled," Talreja said.

Short Circuit Among Possible Causes

He added that a committee of senior officers was formed to investigate the causes thoroughly and determine the necessary follow-up measures. On the possible cause of the fire, Talreja said it was too early to draw any conclusion and several possibilities, including a short circuit, were being examined. "It is difficult to say the cause at this stage. There can be several reasons. CCTV footage from the RPF cameras will also be examined to check any external interference. Sometimes such incidents occur due to a short circuit inside the coach. The rainy weather could also have an induction effect. A detailed investigation will establish the exact cause," he said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)