Fire in Gorakhpur-bound train near Mumbai; passengers safe

Representational Image

The railway officials said a coach of the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Gorakhpur Express caught fire near its wheels due to brake binding in Maharashtra's Thane district neighbouring Mumbai on Monday morning, reported news agency PTI.

An official told PTI that the blaze was doused immediately and all passengers were safe.

The Gorakhpur-bound train was detained near Thakurli station (in Thane district) due to brake binding of S-8 coach at around 6.30 am, a Central Railway (CR) spokesperson said, reported PTI.

In the brake binding process, train brakes get jammed with wheels. It emits heavy smoke, sometimes leading to a fire due to excess heat, reported PTI.

Thakurli is located around 35 km from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in Mumbai.

Some passengers panicked after seeing heavy smoke emanating from the wheels and immediately alerted the railway staff on onboard the Gorakhpur-bound train, sources told PTI.

The CR spokesperson said it was a very small blaze and was immediately doused using two fire extinguishers.

The train left for its onward journey in 20 minutes, he said.

Earlier, the train had departed 26 minutes late from the originating station LTT at 5.49 am, as per sources, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, at least four persons were injured when a speeding bus overturned in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Monday morning, police said, reported PTI.

The accident took place at Karlekhind in Poynad area when the bus, carrying around 50 passengers and belonging to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), was going from Alibaug to Panvel, an official said.

The bus driver lost control over the wheels after an axle broke and as a result, the vehicle overturned, he said, reported PTI.

The injured passengers were rushed to a hospital for treatment and they were out of danger. Traffic movement on the route was normal, the official said.

In another incident, at least 15 people were injured after a container truck dashed approximately seven cars in the Kasara mountain pass on the Mumbai-Nashik highway on Sunday, police said, reported PTI.

The accident occurred in the evening when the truck driver lost control over the vehicle, causing it to veer off course and collide with multiple cars, a Thane district rural police official said.

"15 persons travelling in different cars suffered injuries. They were shifted to local hospitals," the official said, adding that some cars were badly damaged, reported PTI. Police are investigating.

(With inputs from PTI)