Three trains catch fire at Puri station

Authorities in the East-Coast Railways halted train movements to Odisha temple town of Puri on Thursday evening after three express trains which had arrived at the local railway station caught fire under mysterious circumstance one after another.

Several bogies of the three express trains — Tirupati-Puri Express, Howrah-Puri Express and Nandankanan Express —were gutted in the serial fire incidents. Significantly, all the three trains had been stationed in separate platforms. Luckily the trains were empty as all passengers had got down from them when the incident took place.

Reports from the busy temple town said, the Nandankanan Express caught fire first in platform number four and when the fire brigade personnel were trying to douse it, the fire broke out in Tirupati-Puri Express stationed in platform number two. Minutes later, the Howrah-Puri Express stationed in platform number six was found catching fire.

However, the local fire brigade office which had engaged seven vehicles and about 35 to 40 personnel, managed to control the fire within a couple of hours. Senior railway officials have rushed to the temple town. A high official level inquiry has already been ordered. Several Puri bound trains have been stopped in different railway stations within the state like Balasore, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

The police have not ruled out sabotage. Two persons have already been detained by the Railway Protection Force. They are being questioned. Panic has already gripped the temple town following the incident.