Bhubaneswar (IANS) | A major tragedy was averted after a fire broke out in an air-conditioned (AC) coach of the Durg-Puri Express near Khariar Road in Odisha’s Nuapada district. Officials gave this information on Friday. The fire broke out in the AC coach at around 10 pm due to some fault in the brake shoe. East Coast Railway officials gave information on Thursday. Puri-Durg Express train (No. 18426) arrived at Khariar Road station at 10.07 pm. After pulling the alarm chain, the brakes did not apply. Due to friction, the brake pads of B3 coach caught fire, officials said.
The alert railway staff immediately swung into action and doused the fire before it spread.
The fire was confined to the lower portion of the coach and no other damage was reported. Officials said the train left the station at 11 pm after the fault was rectified.
At least four train accidents have been reported in the state of Odisha during the last seven days.
At least 288 people were killed and over 1000 injured when Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, Howrah-bound SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train met with an accident near Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha’s Balasore district on the evening of 2 June. were injured.
On 6 June, passengers of the Secunderabad-Agartala train were offloaded after smoke was detected in an AC coach at Berhampur railway station in Odisha.
On 7 June, eight laborers were crushed to death by a parked rake of a goods train near Jajpur-Keonjhar Road station, killing six and seriously injuring two others.
–IANS
