Kolkata, Feb 15: A coach of an empty passenger train caught fire early Sunday morning at Katwa Railway Station in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district. While the incident triggered panic among bystanders at the station, no injuries or casualties were reported as the train was unoccupied at the time. The blaze was reported around 4:30 AM in a compartment of the Katwa-Azimganj passenger train, which was stationary at platform number two. Flames quickly engulfed the coach, sending plumes of smoke into the sky and causing a brief commotion on the platform as early-morning commuters noticed the fire.
Railway staff and fire officials acted swiftly to prevent the situation from escalating. Railway workers promptly uncoupled the burning coach from the rest of the train to stop the fire from spreading to adjacent bogies. Two fire tenders were rushed to the scene, and firefighters battled the blaze for approximately 30 minutes before bringing it under complete control. Since the train was empty and parked at the time, Eastern Railway officials confirmed there was no loss of life or injury to passengers.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and Eastern Railway has initiated a high-level investigation to determine if the spark originated from a short circuit, an external source, or a technical malfunction within the compartment. This incident follows a string of recent railway safety concerns across the country, though officials emphasized that the rapid response today successfully mitigated any potential tragedy.
