1,500 rescued as fire engulfs Karmabhoomi Express in Punjab; two special trains deployed
A major fire broke out aboard the Amritsar-New Jalpaiguri Karmabhoomi Express in Punjab on Friday afternoon, triggering an emergency evacuation of around 1,500 passengers.
Railway officials said all passengers were safely evacuated, with no casualties or major injuries reported.
The incident occurred near Sarai Banjara railway station on the Rajpura-Ambala-Delhi route.
Following reports of the blaze at around 1.30 pm, the district administration rushed ambulances, fire brigade personnel and police teams to the spot.
Four coaches caught fire
The fire reportedly started in one of the train's general coaches before spreading to adjoining compartments.
Three coaches were severely damaged, while a fourth sustained partial damage.
The loco pilot and guard acted swiftly, bringing the train to a halt and detaching the affected coaches from the remaining compartments to prevent the flames from spreading further.
Railway authorities also switched off both overhead electric lines as a precautionary measure.
Train movement on either side of the affected railway section was temporarily suspended to ensure safety.
Two special trains arranged for passengers
Following the evacuation, railway authorities arranged two special trains from Sarai Banjara towards New Jalpaiguri to help stranded passengers continue their journey.
The Punjab administration and Railways also organised food, drinking water and transportation facilities.
Buses and locally available vehicles were deployed, while a nearby gurdwara arranged langar for the affected passengers.
Medical teams were stationed at Sarai Banjara railway station to examine passengers, while police, railway protection personnel and emergency responders coordinated the relief operation.
Investigation launched to determine cause
Senior railway officials, including Ambala Division Divisional Railway Manager Vinod Bhatia, visited the site to assess the situation.
Officials said a detailed investigation would be conducted to establish the cause of the fire.
The damaged coaches are being removed, and efforts are underway to restore normal railway operations.
Patiala Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal and Senior Superintendent of Police Harmandeep Hans also inspected the site and confirmed that the situation was under control.
The swift response by railway personnel and local authorities helped prevent a potentially serious tragedy.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
