Massive fire on crude oil train near Tiruvallur disrupts rail services in Chennai
Thousands affected
Chennai: Train services in the Chennai–Arakkonam section were thrown into chaos early Sunday morning after a massive fire broke out on a freight train carrying crude oil near Tiruvallur, about 43 km from Chennai Central. Thousands of passengers were affected as both suburban and long-distance train operations were suspended or cancelled.
The incident occurred around 4:45 am when a 45-coach freight train transporting crude oil from Ennore to Jolarpettai caught fire while passing through the Tiruvallur–Egattur section. Preliminary reports suggest the derailment of two wagons may have sparked the blaze, though the exact cause is still under investigation.
The fire quickly engulfed four coaches and spread further, producing towering flames and thick plumes of black smoke. Panic ensued among nearby residents, who were promptly evacuated as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far.
Fire and Rescue Services were immediately deployed to the scene. Five coaches were detached from the burning rake to prevent the fire from spreading. Restoration efforts are currently underway.
Tiruvallur District Collector M. Prathap visited the site and supervised the evacuation and firefighting measures. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Arakkonam unit, have also been pressed into service to assist with relief and containment operations.
Rail operations bore the brunt of the incident:
All suburban trains between Chennai and Arakkonam were suspended from 5 am.
Eight inbound express trains, including the Mangaluru Mail, Nilgiri Express, and Coimbatore Intercity, were short-terminated at stations between Arakkonam and Katpadi.
Eight outbound express trains from Chennai Central, including the Chennai–Mysuru Shatabdi and Chennai–Bengaluru Double Decker, were fully cancelled.
Four trains were diverted via Gudur and Renigunta routes.
Southern Railway officials have advised passengers to contact helpline numbers 044-25354151 and 044-24354995 for assistance and updated travel information.
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US intercepts fifth sanctioned tanker as it exerts control over Venezuelan oil distribution
Washington (AP): US forces boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, the US military said, as the Trump administration continues to target sanctioned tankers travelling to and from Venezuela.
The pre-dawn action was carried out by Marines and Navy sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, part of the extensive force the US has built up in the Caribbean in recent months, according to US Southern Command, which declared “there is no safe haven for criminals” as it announced the seizure of the tanker called the Olina. The Coast Guard then took control of the vessel, officials said.
Southern Command and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem both posted unclassified footage on social media of a US helicopter landing on the vessel and US personnel conducting a search of the deck and tossing what appeared to be an explosive device in front of a door leading to inside the ship.
In her social media post, Noem said the ship was “another ghost fleet' tanker ship suspected of carrying embargoed oil” and it had departed Venezuela “attempting to evade US forces."
The Olina is the fifth tanker that has been seized by US forces as part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump's administration to control the distribution of Venezuela's oil products globally following the US ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid.
US government records show that the Olina was sanctioned for moving Russian oil under its prior name, Minerva M, and flagged in Panama.
While records show the Olina is now flying the flag of Timor-Leste, it is listed in the international shipping registry as having a false flag, meaning the registration it is claiming is not valid. In July, the owner and manager of the ship on its registration was changed to a company in Hong Kong.
According to ship tracking databases, the Olina last transmitted its location in November in the Caribbean, north of the Venezuelan coast. Since then, however, the ship has been running dark with its location beacon turned off.
While Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law, other officials in the Trump administration have made clear they see it as a way to generate cash to fund US goals in Venezuela.
In an early morning post on his social media network, Trump said the US and Venezuela “are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure.”
The administration said it expects to sell 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil, with the proceeds to go to both the US and Venezuelan people. But the president expects the arrangement to continue indefinitely as he meets on Friday with executives from 17 oil companies to discuss his goal of investing USD 100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution.
Vice President JD Vance told Fox News this week that the US can “control” Venezuela's “purse strings” by dictating where its oil can be sold.
The Olina has a listed cargo capacity of up to 890,000 barrels of oil. While it is unclear if the tanker was full or empty, at the current market price of about USD 60 a barrel, a full cargo of oil from the tanker would be worth about USD 53 million.
