Maharashtra: Fire in rail utility coach on Konkan route; no casualty

Photo used for representational purpose

A utility coach used for electrification work caught fire near a station on the Konkan Railway route in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district on Wednesday morning, disrupting movement of trains for some time, an official said.

No one was injured in the incident, Konkan Railway's spokesperson Girish Karandikar said.

The blaze erupted in the utility coach near Zarap station around 9.30 am, he said. The entire coach got engulfed in flames within a short span and thick black smoke emanated from its windows, according to railway officials. The blaze was doused after some time and train services on the route resumed within two hours, Karandikar said.

Only two long distance trains were regulated at Madure and Kudal stations due to the incident, but they resumed further journey once the path was cleared, he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said.

The Konkan Railway has undertaken the electrification work of its entire route in phases and it is in different stages of completion. Once completed, trains on the route can be hauled with electric locomotives, replacing the existing diesel locomotives.

The Konkan Railway has a 756-km-long track from Roha near Mumbai to Thokur near Mangaluru. The route, spread across Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka, has one of the most challenging terrains, comprising many rivers, gorges and mountains.

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