Agra train fire: How a gateman detected smoke and averted a big tragedy

Gateman Yashpal Singh, a retired army officer stationed at a railway level crossing near Bhandai station, played a crucial role in preventing a potential disaster on Wednesday afternoon. If it hadn't been for his timely action and alerting his superiors, the fire in the coaches of the Patalkot Express could have escalated into a major tragedy on Wednesday.

At 3.35 pm, as the train was passing through the gate just before reaching Bhandai station, Singh noticed smoke emanating from the 4th coach near the engine. None of the passengers on the train were reportedly aware of this perilous situation, according to a confidential source of PTI within the Agra division.

Yashpal promptly contacted Haridas, the deputy station superintendent of Bhandai station, who, in turn, relayed the information to the control room. In response, the train controller immediately instructed the Over Head Equipment (OHE) in charge to cut off the power supply to all trains in both the UP and DOWN directions, halting them at their respective locations.

By the time the Patalkot Express came to a halt at 3.37 pm, it had already passed Bhandai station. Within just ten minutes, the fire brigade, ambulance, and Self Propelled Accident Relief Train (SPART) were dispatched to the scene. Meanwhile, the fire had already engulfed the third and fourth coaches from the engine, but all the passengers were safely evacuated in time.

According to the Railway Protection Force, the fire was fully extinguished by 5.10 pm, and a total of 11 individuals sustained minor burn injuries during the incident.

The train, en route from Firozpur Cantonment in Punjab to Seoni in Madhya Pradesh, experienced this fire near Bhandai, roughly 10 km from Agra. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, as stated by Agra Railway Division PRO Prashasti Srivastava.

Dr Prashant Gupta, the Principal of S N Medical College in Agra, reported that nine people were admitted to hospitals. Of these, seven were admitted to his hospital, while two were taken to a nearby facility. Currently, five patients in his hospital and one in the other hospital are receiving treatment for minor burn injuries.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) of the Agra Police Commissionerate, Sonam Kumar, mentioned that five fire tenders and a forensic team arrived at the scene after the fire was reported. The incident had a significant impact on train operations along the Agra-Dholpur route, with many trains being held at various stations.

Ultimately, the train resumed its journey towards its destination at 7.30 pm, after accommodating the affected coach's passengers in other carriages, according to a railway official.

(With PTI inputs)

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