Yet another condemned bogie burns

Close on the heels of a condemned bogie stationed on the siding at Ashokapuram Railway Station gutted in a mishap on December last, yet another bogie caught fire in a similar incident here on Friday.

A bogie standing next to the defunct compartment that was burnt in the earlier incident, caught fire around 12 noon creating anxious moments at the particular railway station off Manandavadi Road. Another bogie had partially caught fire, but the timely arrival of fire personnel averted what could have led to a major mishap. The incident came to light with the thick black fire billowing out from that coach. Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was completely put down within an hour.

As a precautionary measure, the Tirupathi train that runs up to Chamarajanagar was delayed for 15 minutes at the railway station. While Mysore-Chamarajanagar train via Nanjangud town arrived on time towards Mysore. However, the thin smoke that was still coming out from that bogie aroused curiosity among those travelling in both the trains, who were peeping through the windows.

Regional Fire Officer C S Gurulingaiah told media that the fire can be attributed to the pranks of miscreants. The dry weeds and shrubs in the immediate vicinity warrants for immediate action on the part of the authorities concerned.

When the earlier incident occurred on December 22,  a railway officer who didn’t wish to be quoted stated that the process to auction the bogies was underway, as they had completed 25 years of service, a set period considered to relegate them into history. With the recurrence of the incident, it calls for the urgent action on the part of railways.

Though a used coach lying idle, it is yet again a public property that cannot be left to waste. Will the railways act much before the fire erupts again? It’s a million dollar question. Government railway police have registered a case and are investigating.

Chain snatched

A woman returning home on her two-wheeler from an Aadhaar Centre was robbed of her ‘mangalsutra’ worth about ` 65,000 here on Friday. Indira, a resident of Pulikeshi Road was riding the vehicle, when triple riding youths yanked off the valuable from the rear side on Nelson Mandela Road around 3.30 pm. N R Police have registered a case.

Youth kills self

A youth allegedly committed suicide by throwing himself under a moving train between Sujathapuram and Thandavapura railway line on Friday. The deceased who still remains unidentified is aged between 25 and 30 years, oval faced and medium built. The body has been shifted to the mortuary attached to Nanjangud Government Hospital. Relatives may contact  0821- 2516579.

New motorcycle stolen

A brand new motorcycle parked after production on the premises of TVS Factory in Byathalli on the  outskirts has been lifted, on Thursday. In a complaint lodged with the Mysore South Police, a representative of the company has alleged that the two-wheeler priced at ` 75,000 was parked along with umpteen number of vehicles.