New Delhi, February 26 A defect in the emergency light unit battery caused the fire in the seating-cum-luggage coach of the Delhi-Chennai Grand Trunk Express near Wardha in Maharashtra on February 17, according to an initial railway investigation report.
The report held the Electric Train Lighting (ETL) department of the Chennai Depot primarily responsible for the incident. The seven-member investigation team concluded that the evidence suggests the fire started inside the rear coach from the train's emergency light unit battery.
One member, a Senior Section Engineer responsible for train lighting and air conditioning maintenance, disagreed with the findings.
According to the report, the Station Master and pointsman at Sindi Railway Station in Maharashtra noticed smoke and fire emanating from the rear seating-cum-luggage (SLR) coach at 11:20 am on February 17.
They signaled the guard with a red flag, but he did not notice it. The Deputy Station Master then tried to alert the train guard on walkie-talkie, but failed due to a lack of clear communication. The 22-coach train was eventually stopped at 11:22 am after the alarm chain was pulled from the Divyangjan compartment.
"Between 11:23 and 11:35, the guard and other staff tried to extinguish the fire using 10 fire extinguishers from coaches and the pantry car," the report stated. The affected SLR coach was detached from the train by 11:35 am.
A fire brigade team reached the site at 12:01 pm and the fire was completely extinguished by 12:45. Upon inspection, the investigation team found the emergency light unit LED in the luggage area and its battery, along with the PCB, in a melted condition.
The team noted that there were "no signs of fire" originating from outside and that no flammable or explosive items were found in the luggage compartment.
"It is concluded that the fire originated from the emergency light unit battery. Furthermore, samples of the burnt material were collected by a forensic/fire expert team, and their report is awaited," the report said.
While the report held the ETL department of the primary depot in Chennai "responsible", it added that "final responsibility will be fixed after the forensic expert report" is received. No passengers were injured in the incident.