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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New Delhi: The investigation team that probed the explosion that took place outside the CRPF School in the Prashant Vihar area of the city on October 20 morning has reportedly not found any terror force behind the blast.
The investigation team, consisting of Delhi Police and staff members from central agencies, has stated in its report that cigarette butts thrown by a local resident might have come in contact with industrial waste and have caused the explosion. Circumstantial evidence does not show the incident to have a terror angle to it, reports The Indian Express.
The Delhi Police, the city bomb squad and the fire brigade had rushed to the spot following the explosion, which was initially believed to have been caused by a crude bomb. The forensic experts who inspected the spot hinted at the presence of potassium chlorate, hydrogen peroxide and some electrical wires there. The school wall had been damaged and the windows of a car nearby had shattered in the explosion.
The investigation team scanned the CCTV camera footage and zeroed in on around 10 people questioned. A senior police officer said that a North Delhi-based businessman from Prashant Vihar was found to be present at the spot around five minutes before the explosion, as he had come there on Sunday morning to walk his dog. The CCTV footage showed him smoking and, after questioning him, the team concluded that he had left lit cigarette butts before leaving the spot, the officer added.
The spot where the explosion took place is learned to have been usually used for dumping garbage and also has a public urinal.
An officer has said that the Delhi Police had consulted forensic and technical experts of the National Security Guard regarding the things found on the explosion site but are yet to get the report. The officer added that they have found no detonator so far.