Central Railways launches probe in Dadar train fire

Mumbai: Taking a serious note of the fire that broke out in Thane-bound train on Friday evening, the  (CR) has initiated an inquiry into the incident. The report is expected to be out within two weeks.

On Friday at 9.20 pm, a Thane-bound slow train from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) came to a halt at Dadar station when the fire broke out in one of the coaches. Though there were no injuries, the fire led to a thick layer of smoke, and it resulted in the trains behind it coming to a halt and affecting the services.

While the fire was doused soon, some of the slow trains going towards the suburbs had to be diverted to the fast line between Byculla and Kurla. This resulted in thousands of commuters facing delays and detours while reaching their homes.

According to railway officials, the fire began underneath one of the coaches, and it was possibly a case of brake binding – a technical problem where the brake gets jammed, leading to friction, fire and smoke.

Sunil Udasi, chief public relations officer of CR said, “The exact cause of the fire will be known only after detailed investigation. The divisional railway manager has set up an inquiry into the incident. The probe will look into all aspects including how fire took place due to brake binding. The report is expected to be submitted within 10-15 days.”