Kalka Mail fire, 6 hospitalised

A fire broke out early on Tuesday in a coach of the Howrah-bound Kalka Mail near Kurukshetra in Haryana, an official said. Six passengers were hospitalised.

"Fire broke out in front of the SLR (Seating cum Luggage Rake), next to the locomotive of Howrah-Kalka Mail between Dhirpur and Dhonda Khedi station around 2.55 a.m.," Northern Railway Spokesperson Deepak Kumar told IANS.

Following the blaze, the loco pilot immediately stopped the train and detached the particular bogie. This prevented the fire from spreading to other coaches. No one was injured, Kumar said.

However, six passengers were admitted to hospital after they complained of breathlessness.

The traffic on the route was affected for about an hour, he added.

The passengers of the SLR coach were shifted to other coaches as the train resumed its onward journey without the SLR.

--IANS

aks/in