Two railcars of a passenger train were engulfed in flames on Monday morning at a station in the Indian state of Bihar. All passengers were safely evacuated, and it took firefighters over two hours to put out the fire.
The fire broke out on train 63344 from Samastipur to Saharsa after it arrived at Simri Bakhtiyarpur station in Saharsa district.
The train was an MEMU – Mainline Electric Multiple Unit, used in India for regional and suburban services.
According to the East Central Railway – ECR, the fire was spotted at around 3.00 am local time in one of the train’s power railcars.
The flames spread to the second railcar
Station staff initially attempted to extinguish the fire using the available fire extinguishers, but the flames quickly spread to another railcar.
As the fire could no longer be brought under control using the resources at the station, several fire engines were called to the scene.
All passengers were evacuated from the train, and the power supply to the overhead contact line was cut off so that the emergency services could work safely.
The fire was completely extinguished at around 5.50 am. No injuries were reported.
Footage taken at the station shows intense flames and thick plumes of smoke rising above the train.
Passengers felt heat coming from beneath the railcar
One of the passengers said he felt intense heat coming from the underside of the railcar. After getting off to check the situation, he noticed the flames and warned the other passengers.
Another passenger stated that the fire started near the power railcar and spread rapidly after the train stopped at the station.
The evacuation caused moments of panic, but passengers managed to leave the train before the fire engulfed a larger part of it.
Rail services disrupted for two hours
The incident temporarily halted traffic through Simri Bakhtiyarpur station, and services on the route were disrupted for approximately two hours.
Several trains were delayed, including the Kosi Express, the Janaki Express, the Saharsa–Samastipur passenger train and the Shravani special train between Saharsa and Deoghar.
The railway operator has ordered an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
Initial reports suggest the possibility of a short circuit, but this hypothesis has not been officially confirmed. The authorities are also assessing the extent of the damage to the rolling stock.
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