New Delhi: Three coaches of the Jhansi-bound Taj Express train caught fire in southeast Delhi's Sarita Vihar on Monday. No one was injured in the incident as passengers managed to get out of the affected coaches in time, officials said.
The cause of the fire was not known immediately and the railway police are investigating the matter. The train had started from New Delhi Railway Station at 3 pm and caught fire between Okhla and Tughlakabad railway station, police said.
"We received a call at 4.24 pm regarding the fire in three coaches of the Taj Express train. Eight fire tenders were pressed into service and the fire was put out by 5.43 pm," a Delhi Fire Services (DFS) official said.
Coaches D3 and D4 were gutted in the fire, while D2 was partially damaged, the police said, adding they were general chair car coaches. Huge flames leapt out from the carriages and black smoke billowed as firefighters tried to douse the blaze.
Narrating their ordeal, some of the passengers said they heard people screaming about a fire and had to run to safety. "As the train was moving, some of the passengers immediately pulled the emergency chain. The train halted immediately and the passengers de-boarded to save their lives," a passenger told reporters.
"A guard in the train checked the compartments to see if anyone was left inside. By that time, firefighters also reached the spot," another passenger said.
The police said their control room received a call about the fire at around 4.40 pm. "After receiving the call, police personnel rushed to the spot near Apollo Hospital," a senior police officer said. No one was injured in the incident as the passengers quickly deboarded the train, he said. "The train was running about 10 hours late and had started from New Delhi Railway Station at 3 pm. The train runs from New Delhi Railway Station to Jhansi," a police officer said. The officer said the train caught fire between Okhla and Tuglakabad railway station.
According to the railway officials, they have asked the railway police to investigate the reason behind the fire and teams of forensic science experts also visited the spot. "We have launched an investigation to know the actual reason behind the fire," a senior police officer said.