Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Thick smoke emanating from the generator car of the Bhopal-Jodhpur Express triggered panic and chaos at the Bhopal Railway Station on Monday. The incident, which occurred on Platform No. 6, was so intense that the smoke plume reached as far as Platform No. 1, causing alarm among hundreds of passengers.
The technical glitch surfaced the moment the power supply was switched on while the train was being brought onto the platform. According to railway officials, a short circuit in the wiring led to a minor blaze.
The smoke continued to intensify for about 20 minutes; it was only when it began spreading rapidly across the station that the gravity of the situation was realized.
Railway staff and the engineering team rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control using fire boosters. The swift action prevented the fire from spreading to the passenger coaches, thereby averting a major disaster.
Railway Public Relations Officer Naval Agrawal stated, "The engineering team responded immediately and used fire boosters to extinguish the blaze in the nick of time. The affected generator car was replaced with another unit, after which the train was allowed to depart."
The incident resulted in a delay of approximately one hour for the Jodhpur-bound express. Preliminary investigations have confirmed that faulty wiring caused the short circuit.
