Thursday, Mar 28, 2024 | Last Update : 07:38 PM IST

  India   Puri fire guts 5 coaches of 3 trains

Puri fire guts 5 coaches of 3 trains

Published : Nov 13, 2015, 2:46 am IST
Updated : Nov 13, 2015, 2:46 am IST

At least five coaches of the Puri-New Delhi Nandankanan Express, Tirupati-Puri Express and Puri-Howrah Express on Thursday evening caught fire here at Puri railway station.

One of the coaches that caught fire at Puri station on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)
 One of the coaches that caught fire at Puri station on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)

At least five coaches of the Puri-New Delhi Nandankanan Express, Tirupati-Puri Express and Puri-Howrah Express on Thursday evening caught fire here at Puri railway station.

According to reports, at around 5.30 pm the fire started with the Nandankanan Express and later spread to Tirupati-Puri Express and then to Puri Express which were standing at a distance of 100 metres. No passengers were onboard at the time of the accident.

While the exact reason for the mishap is unknown, it is suspected to be a handiwork of mischievous elements.

“One person with a matchbox has been detained for allegedly causing the fire. Railway Police Force personnel are questioning him,” an official of the east coast railway said.

Sources said the detained person appeared to be mentally unsound and was moving in the state for quite some time before the incident took place.

No one has been hurt in the incident; however, the coaches have been charred. Six fire extinguishing vehicles of the fire brigade were pressed into service to contain the fire.

Latest reports said the fire was extinguished completely at around 7 pm.

“Train services to and from the pilgrim town has been temporarily suspended. The East coast railway has ordered a high-level probe into the incident,” said CPRO of ECoR Jyoti Prakash Mishra.

A high-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident, Mr Mishra said.

“Train services are getting normalised. Some trains have started moving from Puri. The Puri-Howrah will leave at 8 pm,” Mr Mishra informed.

Location: India, Odisha, Puri