Fire Erupts on Passenger Train in Bihar, Passengers Evacuated Safely
Major Fire Incident at Simri Bakhtiyarpur Railway Station
Screengrab image shows flames engulfing a passenger train coach in Bihar
(Source: @railsbpur/X)
Patna, Aug 3: A significant fire incident occurred on the Samastipur-Saharsa Passenger train (63344) at approximately 3:25 a.m. on Monday at Platform No. 2 of Simri Bakhtiyarpur railway station in Bihar's Saharsa district, causing widespread panic among passengers and railway personnel.
Initial reports indicate that the blaze ignited near the train's middle engine and swiftly spread to three adjacent coaches.
The scene was chaotic, with thick smoke and high flames engulfing the area.
At the time of the fire, many passengers were aboard the train. Upon noticing the flames, they quickly began to evacuate the coaches.
A potential disaster was averted as all passengers reportedly escaped without injury.
One passenger, Sanjay Kumar from Saharsa, described feeling intense heat from beneath the coach. Upon investigation, he discovered flames and promptly alerted others.
Another traveler, Raju Kumar, who boarded the train at Mansi station, recounted that a small fire was visible near the engine shortly after the train's arrival, which escalated into a larger fire.
As station authorities instructed passengers to evacuate, panic ensued among those inside the coaches.
Following the fire alert, multiple fire engines and railway officials arrived at the scene.
Firefighters acted quickly and managed to control the fire.
This incident caused significant disruptions to railway services at Simri Bakhtiyarpur, affecting several trains.
Station Superintendent Sanjay Kumar Sajjan confirmed that operations were severely impacted due to the fire.
Trains such as the Kosi Express (Saharsa-Patna), Janaki Express (Manihari-Jaynagar), Saharsa-Samastipur Passenger, and Shravani Special (Saharsa-Deoghar) experienced delays.
While a short circuit is suspected as the cause of the fire, the exact reason is still under investigation.
Railway and local administration officials are on-site to oversee relief and firefighting efforts.
An inquiry has been launched by the Railways to ascertain the exact cause of the incident and evaluate the damage to the affected coaches.