Karmabhoomi Express catches fire in Punjab; passengers evacuated

Rajpura: Four coaches of the Amritsar–New Jalpaiguri Karmabhoomi Express caught fire near Sarai Banjara railway station in Punjab on Friday, triggering panic among passengers and forcing the evacuation of everyone on board, Times of India reported.

The fire broke out in train number 12508 while it was travelling towards New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. The blaze was first noticed in the fifth coach from the locomotive and subsequently spread to three other coaches. The incident occurred near Basantpura, around 15 km from Rajpura.

Thick smoke and flames were seen rising from the affected coaches, with videos of the incident circulating online. Railway officials, police personnel and fire and rescue teams rushed to the spot and carried out evacuation operations.

All passengers were safely evacuated, according to preliminary reports. No casualties or injuries have been officially reported so far.

A short circuit is suspected to have triggered the fire, but authorities have not yet confirmed the cause. The extent of damage to the coaches is also being assessed.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over passenger safety, with further details awaited from railway authorities.