A minor fire broke out in the lavatory of the moving Daund-Pune shuttle train on Monday morning, causing panic among passengers, police said. The blaze was quickly doused and no one was injured in the incident which occurred near Yevat in Pune district at around 8 am, an official from Daund railway police station said.
Representational Image. Pic/ File Pic
In a tragic and unexpected situation, a minor fire broke out in the lavatory of the moving Daund-Pune shuttle train on Monday morning. The incident happened after a passenger from Madhya Pradesh allegedly threw a lighted cigarette in a dustbin, the smoke coming out of the dustbin causing panic among passengers, police said.
As reported by PTI, the blaze was quickly doused, and no one was injured in the incident which occurred near Yavat in Pune district at around 8 am, an official from Daund railway police station said.
A railway spokesperson, while addressing the situation, said that "a 55-year-old person, who prima facie seemed to be mentally unstable, was detained in connection with the incident and handed over to police."
Soon after the incident took place, the Daund-Pune shuttle was held up at Yavat station for about 20 minutes and was left for its upcoming journey after all the technical and safety clearances were done by the officials, as per railway officials.
The shuttle train service between Pune and Daund operates daily between Daund town and Pune city, covering a distance of nearly 75 km and passing through seven stations in between.
As per preliminary information, a passenger from Madhya Pradesh allegedly threw a 'bidi' (hand-rolled thin cigarette) into a dustbin of the Daund-Pune DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) train after smoking, which led to the fire, the police official said.
The official further added that "The incident occurred around 8 am. There were papers and other trash in the bin, which caught fire, resulting in smoke billowing from the toilet and causing panic among passengers."
'There were only a few passengers in that coach,' he said.
The fire was quickly extinguished, and no one was injured in the incident, the official added. Furthermore, railway officials said the train suffered a 20-minute detention at the Yavat station.
Fire breaks out in Khidderpore Market of Kolkata; no injuries reported
A fire broke in parts of the crowded Khidderpore Market in southwest Kolkata early on Monday, destroying hundreds of shops and causing panic among local traders, officials said. However, no casualties have been reported in the blaze, stated news agency PTI.
The fire, which broke out at 2.05 am, was brought under control by 6 am, although smoke continued to rise from several areas owing to residual "pocket fires." At least 20 fire tenders were dispatched to extinguish the flames.
Local shopkeepers claimed that over 1,200 shops were destroyed in the 150-year-old market, although officials have yet to confirm the extent of the damage.
"Viraat khati (huge loss)," said a visibly distressed trader, gesturing towards the charred tin sheds and burnt-out goods.
A senior fire official suggested that the blaze may have been triggered by a short circuit.
(With PTI Inputs)
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