Fire breaks out in train in Odisha, passengers safe
Bhubaneswar, May 30: Fire broke out in a parcel van of Keonjhar-Bhubaneswar Fast Passenger train in Odisha's Keonjhar district on Wednesday, a railway official said, adding all the passengers were safe.
The East Coast Railway official said that some passengers spotted fire erupting from the parcel van of the train near Chilikidara station and alerted the loco pilot, who stopped the train.
The luggage bogey was separated from the train and fire-fighters stepped in to douse the flames.
"One parcel van loaded by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at KDJR was attached next to locomotive in the passenger train. Smoke was coming out of this parcel van. Loco was detached and gap was created between this parcel van and other coaches," said a East Coast Railway statement.
The official said an inquiry will be conducted to find out the reason for the fire.
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LPG crunch hits Mangaluru, canteens, hotels shut
Mangaluru: After major cities including Bengaluru and Chennai, the LPG shortage crisis has also struck Mangaluru now.
Reports are emerging about the closure of several hotels, canteens and street food outlets in the city.
The shortage is triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has been worsening day by day.
According to reports, several hotels, canteens and street food preparation units have been forced to shut down operations in some areas due to the lack of commercial LPG cylinders.
In Dakshina Kannada district, hotels, restaurants and street food stalls have reportedly remained closed for the past two to three days in several locations.
On Saturday as well, hotel owners in many parts of the district, including Mangaluru city, faced difficulties in obtaining commercial gas cylinders.
Some establishments had stocked cylinders in advance and managed to continue operations for a few days.
However some owners said they may have no option but to shut down if the shortage continues.
The impact of the situation has also been felt in the fisheries sector.
Fishermen said that there is strong demand from abroad for fish varieties such as shrimp, anjal, manji and bondas, which are usually exported. However, restrictions on the movement of container ships have affected the fishing industry as well.
Leaders of the hotel owners’ associations in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts have urged the authorities to distribute LPG cylinders equally to their sector as well.
They warned that if the supply is not ensured, more hotels may have to shut down.
At present, district administrations have prioritised LPG supply for essential sectors including domestic households, educational institutions, hospitals, hostels, dormitories and religious institutions.
Meanwhile, a few hotels that still use fire wood for cooking have continued their operations.
Meanwhile, timber traders have also said that even firewood is now facing a shortage, as supply is unable to meet the rising demand.
