Kishanganj/ Patna: A passenger train engine caught fire on Tuesday near Gayasal railway station in Kishanganj district, prompting the emergency evacuation of around 1,500 passengers. The incident occurred on the 75720 Siliguri–Malda DEMU train, with the blaze reported to have started in the guard brake section of the engine, likely due to an electrical short circuit.
The train had just passed the station, located about 15km from Kishanganj, when thick black smoke and flames were seen emerging from the engine. Within five minutes of the alert being raised, all passengers were safely evacuated from the bogies.
RPF Inspector Incharge HK Sharma confirmed that there were no injuries and that the fire was brought under control approximately an hour later by fire brigade teams and railway staff. “The situation could have been far worse had the train been moving at high speed,” an official said.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and urgency. Rakesh Kumar, a passenger, said the fire brigade arrived about 30 minutes after the alert was made. “People were shouting and telling everyone to run,” recalled another passenger, Pargana Begum, adding that they managed to remove their luggage before escaping. Sunita Kumari, also on board, said she would now complete her journey home by bus.
This marks the second such incident in recent days, following a similar fire on Sunday involving the Radhikapur–Siliguri DEMU train, which caught fire just 1km from Kishanganj station near Tegharia railway gate. The cause of that fire remains under investigation.
Railway officials have temporarily suspended train movement on the down line in the region as a precaution.
