Minor fire atop train near Thiruvananthapuram station due to electrocuted crow: Railways

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 13 (PTI) The Railways on Tuesday said that a small fire was noticed on one of the wagons of the Tirunelveli BTPN freight train while it was approaching the Thiruvananthapuram Central Station close to noon.

It said that the fire occurred when a crow was electrocuted by the overhead electric line and fell onto the wagon, resulting in a minor flame on the outer surface of the tank.

"The Fire Force tenders reached the spot immediately, and the traction power supply was quickly switched off to facilitate safe firefighting. The fire was completely extinguished without delay," the Thiruvananthapuram division of southern Railways said in a statement.

Subsequently, the wagon was thoroughly inspected and it was found that there was no damage, leakage, or safety issue.

"The tank and the fuel inside were completely safe, as the fuel in the specially designed BTPN wagon is stored inside a sealed steel tank, which prevents any risk from external sparks or minor fires," the statement said.

BTPN is short for Bogie Tank wagon for petroleum products.

The train traffic on the line was restored soon thereafter, the statement said.

It also said that electronic media reports created a wrong impression that a major disaster could have occurred.

"The incident was a minor external flame, which was fully doused immediately, and the wagon’s design ensured complete safety," the statement said. PTI HMP KH