Falaknuma Express catches fire near Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Jul 7: Five compartments of Hyderabad-bound Falaknuma Express (Howrah-Secunderabad) caught fire near Bommaipalli, about 50 KM from here on Friday but nobody was hurt in the incident, officials said.
A senior official of the South Central Railway said three compartments (S4, S5 and S6) were damaged completely and two partially in the fire.
"All passengers are safely evacuated and shifted in buses after a fire broke out in the Falaknuma Express near Bhongir rural PS limits. Police, Fire Dept, and Railways are working in coordination. So far, no fatalities have been reported. Out of 18 coaches, 11 are detached and taken away safely. 7 bogies caught fire, out of which fire is extinguished in 3 bogies as of now," Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar tweeted at 1.37 PM.
"Situation is totally under control. No injuries, no causalities. All the passengers are safe," a SCR official told PTI.
An eyewitness told TV channels that all the passengers were alighted after the fire was noticed.
A railway employee said one of his colleagues noticed smoke coming from a compartment prompting the loco pilot to stop the train and evacuate the passengers from the train.
Fire tenders and other rescue machinery including local police reached the spot to extend help.
A passenger told a TV channel that the luggage of several passengers was gutted in the fire as they did not have enough time to collect them.
Another passenger who got down from the train said her luggage, along with her educational certificates, was gutted in the fire.
As many as 12 busses were pressed into service to ferry stranded passengers to Hyderabad.
An SCR spokesperson while refusing to attribute reasons for the fire said, "It is premature to ascertain the reasons at this point of time. A thorough inquiry will be conducted to find out the reasons."
An anonymous letter warning of a 'Balasore-like train tragedy' on the 'Hyderabad-Delhi-Hyderabad' route was sent to the South Central Railway (SCR) here recently.
The SCR authorities informed the Telangana Police about the letter.
VIDEO | Several coaches of Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express caught fire earlier today. No injury was reported in the incident. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/qcX4i2maLY
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 7, 2023
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MP: 40 years after Bhopal gas disaster, toxic waste leaves Union Carbide factory for disposal
Bhopal, Jan 1: Forty years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, the shifting of some 377 tons of hazardous waste began from the defunct Union Carbide factory on Wednesday night for its disposal, an official said.
The toxic waste is being shifted in 12 sealed container trucks to the Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district, 250 km away from Bhopal.
"12 container trucks carrying the waste set off on a non-stop journey around 9 pm. A green corridor has been created for the vehicles which are expected to reach Pithampur industrial area in Dhar district in seven hours," said Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department Director Swatantra Kumar Singh.
He said around 100 people worked in 30-minute shifts since Sunday to pack and load the waste in trucks.
"They underwent health check-ups and were given rest every 30 minutes," he added.
Highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide factory on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, killing at least 5,479 people and leaving thousands with serious and long-lasting health issues. It is considered to be among the worst industrial disasters in the world.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on December 3 rebuked authorities for not clearing the Union Carbide site in Bhopal despite directions from even the Supreme Court and set a four-week deadline to shift the waste, observing that even 40 years after the gas tragedy, authorities were in a "state of inertia".
The high court bench had warned the government of contempt proceedings if its directive was not followed.
"If everything is found to be fine, the waste will be incinerated within three months. Otherwise, it might take up to nine months," Singh told PTI on Wednesday morning.
Initially, some of the waste will be burnt at the waste disposal unit in Pithampur and the residue (ash) will be examined to find whether any harmful elements are left, Singh said.
The smoke from the incinerator will pass through special four-layer filters so that the surrounding air is not polluted, he added.
Once it is confirmed that no traces of toxic elements are left, the ash will be covered by a two-layer membrane and buried to ensure it does not come in contact with soil and water in any way.
A team of experts under the supervision of officials of the Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board will carry out the process, Singh said.
Some local activists have claimed that 10 tons of Union Carbide waste was incinerated on a trial basis in Pithampur in 2015, after which the soil, underground water and water sources in surrounding villages became polluted.
But Singh rejected the claim, stating that the decision to dispose of the waste at Pithampur was taken only after the report of the 2015 test and all the objections were examined.
There would be no reason to worry, he said.
A large number of people had on Sunday taken out a protest march in Pithampur to oppose the disposal of Union Carbide waste in the city which has a population of about 1.75 lakh.
12 trucks carrying 337 tonnes of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, stored for 40 years, left at 9:05 p.m. for Pithampur near Indore. The waste is expected to arrive early on January 2nd, following a 250-km green corridor with heavy security.
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) January 1, 2025
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