Bengal govt blames Kolkata metro for fire

The West Bengal government on Friday blamed the Metro Railway for the fire on an air-conditioned train a day ago, with the state Fire Services chief saying the department would issue a notice to the authorities to inspect its passenger safety systems.

"No one can deny the fact that there was negligence on part of the Kolkata metro. It needs to be looked into," Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose said.

Dense smoke engulfed the coaches after a fire broke out in an electrical unit of the moving train during the evening rush hour on Thursday, causing a stampede-like situation and leaving at least 16 passengers injured. Several passengers had alleged that they did not receive any help from the authorities, even after calling the helpline repeatedly.

"We will issue a notice to the Kolkata metro to look into its fire safety and passenger safety systems. If something is found to be amiss, then necessary action will be taken in this regard," Fire Services Director General Jagmohan told PTI.

The Fire Services Department and the Kolkata Police held a meeting on Friday and it was decided that steps are needed to be taken for better coordination between the two during emergencies, the director general said.

The Metro Railway has ordered a high-level inquiry to ascertain the reason and the source of the fire, its chief public relations officer, Indrani Banerjee, had said Thursday.