SIRHIND, Oct 18— A fire broke out in a coach of the Amritsar–Saharsa Garib Rath Express near Sirhind railway station in Punjab on Saturday morning, prompting an emergency evacuation of passengers, officials said.
The blaze was reported around 7:30 a.m. when the train (number 12204) was en route from Amritsar. Smoke was first seen billowing from one of the AC coaches, after which a passenger pulled the chain to stop the train, a Government Railway Police (GRP) official said.
“All passengers were safely evacuated from the affected coach soon after the train was halted,” the official noted. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and the blaze was contained before it could spread further.
According to the Railway Board, one passenger sustained minor injuries. Station House Officer of GRP Sirhind, Rattan Lal, said a 32-year-old woman suffered burn injuries and was taken to the Civil Hospital in Fatehgarh Sahib for treatment.
The fire reportedly started in coach G-19 and partially affected two adjoining coaches. Railway staff immediately detached the three coaches from the rest of the train to prevent further damage, officials said.
“The passengers from the affected coaches were shifted to other compartments, and arrangements were made for the train to continue its journey shortly,” a railway official mentioned.
Authorities said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
