Fire breaks out in train in Bihar, none hurt

Saharsa: A fire broke out inside a sleeper class coach of a train coming from Delhi on Tuesday evening, while it was on its way to the final stop at Saharsa in Bihar, though nobody was hurt in the incident, a senior official said.

Smoke began to billow out of the coach when the Purabiya Express, originating at Anand Vihar, was crossing the outer signal of Simri Bakhtiyarpur station, about 20 km from Saharsa, said Divisional Railway Manager of Samastipur Vinay Kumar Srivastava.

'A railway staff at the outer signal took note and informed the station superintendent of Simri Bakhtiyarpur. By the time the train reached the station, the coach was filled with smoke and flames were rising from the floor,' he said.

'The railway personnel had come prepared for the eventuality. They asked passengers to move aside and not to panic and swiftly put off the fire,' he added.

Prima facie the fire seems to have been caused by brake binding, which takes place when somebody tries to stop a running train by pulling the chain, the DRM said.

'An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause,' he said.