Kolkata: A coach of an empty passenger train caught fire at Katwa railway station in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district early on Sunday, an Eastern Railway official said. No injuries have been reported in the incident.
Fire department officials said the blaze was reported around 4.30 am in a compartment of the Katwa-Azimganj passenger train standing on platform number two.
The flames were brought under control by two fire tenders after 30 minutes.
Railway staff promptly detached the affected coach to prevent the fire from spreading to adjoining compartments, an Eastern Railway spokesperson said.
He said the Howrah division will conduct a detailed inquiry, and a forensic team will also visit the site.
The exact cause of the fire will be known after the probe is completed, the official said.
Passengers at the station noticed flames engulfing the coach, triggering a brief commotion on the platform.
The coach was severely damaged, with seats burnt to ashes, leaving only the blackened iron frames. The exterior also bore signs of extensive damage, officials said.
Howrah Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Vishal Kapoor later visited Katwa and inspected the affected coach.
Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress, in a social media post, targeted the Centre over the incident.
The TMC criticised railway safety, citing the incident as a “burning example” of “two Indias”.
“In @narendramodi’s India, Vande Bharat trains and high-speed rail corridors are unveiled with theatrical fanfare, chest-thumping, and self-congratulation. In the India that millions actually inhabit, ordinary passenger trains struggle to meet even basic safety standards,” it said in a post on X.
“How many Indians can realistically afford Vande Bharat? The overwhelming majority travel in passenger trains. They do not ask for luxury; they ask for safety. Yet less than 4 per cent of railway routes are covered by ‘Kavach’,” the party said.
After the horrific Balasore train tragedy that claimed nearly 300 lives, one might have expected humility, introspection, and urgent systemic reform, the TMC said.
“Instead, what followed was an image makeover on social media by REEL MANTRI @AshwiniVaishnaw. When governance becomes a PR exercise, safety becomes an afterthought. India does not need theatrics. It needs accountability,” it added.
