Timely chain pulling prevents major train disaster

Visakhapatnam: The presence of mind by an unidentified commuter in pulling the chain after notification smoke emanating from his coach led to minimise the damage caused after fire engulfed two compartments of 18189 Tatanagar to Ernakulam Express at Elamanchili Railway Station under South Central Railway in the early hours of Monday.

The chain pulling led to the abrupt halt of the train at the railway station as it enabled the authorities to intervene immediately to extinguish the fire and undertake rescue and relief operations without wasting much time. The incident claimed one life and injured several others. The incident created panic among the passengers in the small hours raising concern over safety protocols. Passengers scrambled to escape as the smoke and fire threatened to spread to other coaches after causing extensive damage to two AC coaches. The cause of the tragedy was not confirmed immediately.

In a post on X, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu commended the swift and coordinated action undertaken by the police and Fire Department. He said the prompt action ensured the safe evacuation of more than 150 passengers from the train after fire broke out in its coaches and the train was halted. :I also appreciate the prompt action of the RPF and Railway staff, who immediately separated the front and rear coaches, preventing further demange.