Fire again erupts in Kerala train, probe on
A fire broke out in a coach of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train which was halted at the Kannur railway station in Kerala in the early hours of Thursday, officials said, adding that a probe was underway to ascertain if it was an accident or a case of sabotage.
The fire started in the third-last coach of the train that was halted at the railway station near a Bharat Petroleum fuel depot, officials said, adding that no one was injured in the incident which occurred after all the passengers had deboarded. News agency PTI quoted officials saying on condition of anonymity that a person was detained in connection with the incident.
An officer from the Kannur Fire and Rescue Station said they received information about the incident at 1.30 am and by the time a rescue team reached the site, the coach was completely engulfed in flames. Four fire tenders were deployed in fire-fighting operations and the flames were extinguished by 3.15am, the officer said.
Railway officials said that a “miscreant activity” is suspected behind the incident. “Officials are suspecting a miscreant activity behind the fire. Based on a complaint given by the on-duty station master, a case has been registered by GRP [Government Railway Police ],” the Railways said in a statement.
This is the second fire incident within as many months in the same train. On April 2, three people, died after accused Shahrukh Saifi (27) set his co-passengers on fire onboard the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train when it reached Korapuzha bridge near Elathur in Kozhikode.
After the incident, opposition BJP and the Congress attacked the LDF government in the state.
PK Krishnadas, a BJP national executive member and chairman of Indian Railways’ Passenger Amenities Committee (PAC), questioned why such incidents were happening “again and again” in Kerala. Congress leader VD Satheesan said such incidents have created “insecurity” in the minds of the people.