Watch: Three Coaches Of New Delhi-Darbhanga Express Catches Fire Near UP's Etawah

In a close shave for hundreds of passengers, a crowded clone train caught fire near Etawah in Uttar Pradesh this evening. Three coaches of train number 02570 New Delhi-Darbhanga Special Express caught fire leading to the detaching of the affected bogies. The train was stopped after an official noticed smoke emanating from one of the coaches. He said the coaches were crowded and passengers were safely evacuated before the blaze engulfed the coaches.

Himanshu Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of North Central Railways, said the station master of Sarai Bhopat junction near Etawah noticed smoke coming out from the New Delhi-Darbhanga Special Express' coach number S1. "The train was immediately stopped and all the passengers were evacuated. Everyone is safe and there is no report of any casualty as of now," he said.

इटावा : हमसफर ट्रेन में लगी भीषण आग, नई दिल्ली से दरभंगा जा रही थी ट्रेन, मौके के कई आलाधिकारी मौजूद, कई लोगों के घायल होने की खबर #BreakingNews #HumsafarTrain #TrainAccident #Etawah @malhotra_malika @ajeetsingh1979 pic.twitter.com/tSzagdMPcp — Zee News (@ZeeNews) November 15, 2023

According to reports, the affected coach has been detached from the train and fire tenders have been pressed into service. The train was crowded given the Chhath festival rush. Indian Railways runs special trains or clone trains to cater to the festive rush. The cause of the fire is not known yet. 

Kundan, who was going from Delhi to Muzaffarpur in Bihar, told that as soon as the train slowed down at Sarai Bhupat station, the fans of the train immediately stopped and the lights of the train also went off. "Within a short time, there were screams and loud noises, fire broke out and a stampede took place," he said.