Fire breaks out in Humsafar Express in Valsad, no injuries reported

A major fire broke out in Humsafar Express today while it was going from Valsad to Surat. No injuries were reported. The Railway officials are yet to ascertain the cause of fire.

Valsad: A fire broke out in the power coach of the Humsafar Express near Gujarat's Valsad on Saturday and spread to two adjacent coaches. The train was stopped and all passengers were safely deboarded. No casualties or injuries have been reported, officials said.

However, the cause of fire could not be ascertained. Humsafar Express runs between Tiruchirapalli and Sri Ganganagar. The incident took place in Chhipawad area near Valsad railway station when the train was heading towards Surat. Suddenly, fire and smoke were seen billowing out from two coaches of the train. The scene triggered panic and chaos among the passengers.

On getting information about the fire, teams of RPF and GRPF along with other officials of the Railway reached the spot. Railway sources said that the fire broke out in the power coach of the train and then spread to the adjoining coaches very fast. After arriving at the spot, Railway officials suspended the line and halted all trains on the route for sometime. The coach was also detached from the train.

Following the incident, a stampede-like situation arose as passengers rushed to leave the train. Finally, the train was brought to a halt and all passengers were safely deboarded, an official said. A fire fighting operation was undertaken immediately.

The amount of collateral damage is yet to be determined, an official said. Also, the cause of fire could not be ascertained till now. An investigation will be conducted to find out as to why the fire broke out, the official added.