Begusarai/Patna: A major rail disaster was narrowly avoided on Saturday evening in Bihar’s Begusarai district after the engine of a DEMU train travelling from Tilrath to Jamalpur caught fire, triggering panic among passengers.
The incident occurred near Danauli-Phulwaria on the Barauni–Katihar rail section under the Sonpur division. Eyewitnesses reported that flames erupted suddenly from the train’s engine, creating a frightening scene that forced several passengers to jump off the moving train in a desperate attempt to save their lives. A video of the incident circulating on social media shows people frantically disembarking as thick smoke billowed from the engine.
Amid the chaos, another potential disaster was averted when the Intercity Express, approaching at high speed from Khagaria on a parallel track, was brought to an emergency halt. The train driver, upon noticing passengers running on the tracks, applied the brakes and sounded a prolonged horn to alert others—preventing what could have been a catastrophic collision.
No casualties have been reported, but the incident has raised serious concerns over railway safety and emergency response protocols. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.
