The key facts

  • The fire on the Karmabhumi Express occurred at around 13:10 local time in the state of Punjab
  • All passengers were rescued; there were no injuries
  • Four carriages were almost completely burned out; the preliminary cause is a short circuit

Fire on a moving train

In the Indian state of Punjab, the Karmabhumi Express passenger train caught fire while in motion. According to NDTV, citing railway services, the fire was noticed at around 13:10 local time in the fifth carriage from the locomotive of train No. 12508, which was traveling on the Amritsar — New Jalpaiguri route.

Evacuation and consequences

The train was stopped between the stations of Sarai Banjara and Rajpura, about 15 km from Rajpura, and then moved to Basantpur station. As soon as the train came to a halt, the passengers ran outside — no one was injured. Meanwhile, the fire spread to four carriages, which were almost completely burned out. According to preliminary data, the cause may have been a short circuit.

Context

The incident occurred on the day of the Hindu festival of Dhanteras, when passenger traffic on India's railways traditionally rises sharply. The outlet notes that train movement on the section may be disrupted, but no official data on delays has been provided. An official conclusion on the exact cause of the fire was also not available at the time of publication — the short-circuit theory remains preliminary.