Durg-Puri express fire: ECoR reveals reason behind blaze

Bhubaneswar: The passengers of the Durg-Puri Express were left panic-stricken near Khariar Road Station of Odisha’s Nuapada district on Thursday evening after a minor fire was reported in the train.

According to sources, the brake pads of the AC coach of Puri-Durg Express caught fire due to certain glitches in the brake shoe.

Following the incident, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has revealed that, “In B3 coach of 18426 at Khariar Road station arrival at 10:07 pm. The brakes were not released after ACP (alarm chain pulling). The brake pads caught fire due to friction and the incomplete release of the brakes. No fire inside the coach. The fire was only at the brake pads. No other damage. The problem was rectified and the train departed at 11:00 pm.”

Though no damage was caused by the fire, some passengers of the train and the onlookers were left in a state of panic following the blaze. Continuous incidents related to train have caused tension among everyone. A week before, the Coromandel Express train met with an accident near Bahanaga of Balasore district. The mishap claimed 275 lives. The fear of traveling by train is hence increasing among the locals.