Stampede-like situation as fire breaks out in Kolkata metro; 16 injured

A fire broke out on board a metro train here during rush hour Thursday, causing a stampede-like situation and leaving at least 16 passengers injured.

Following the fire in its electrical unit, dense smoke engulfed the Dum Dum-bound air-conditioned train soon after it left the Maidan station in the heart of the city around 5pm.

Passengers claimed they were trapped inside the train for over an hour and did not receive any help from authorities even after calling the helpline repeatedly.

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

All passengers of the train were evacuated by 6 pm through the motor man's cabin, she added.

The incident disrupted metro services during peak hours leaving many stranded across stations in its 27-km network, which is run by the Indian Railways.

Banerjee said, "A lot of smoke was seen as soon as the train left the Maidan station. We understood since there is smoke, there must be fire somewhere."