A fire broke out in the power car of the Dhaka-bound Chattala Express train near the Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) gate area in Bhatiari Union of Sitakunda, Chittagong, causing panic among passengers.
No casualties have been reported.
The incident occurred around 6:45am on Thursday.
A Fire Service team rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control. Before their arrival, the unaffected coaches were detached and moved to Faujdarhat station.
Ahsan Habib, sub-officer of Sitakunda Fire Service Station, said they responded to reports of a fire on the moving train around 7am. “We found the power car (electricity-generating coach) on fire and quickly brought it under control,” he said.
The cause of the fire could not be immediately determined.
Abul Kalam Azad, sub-inspector and in-charge of Faujdarhat Railway Police outpost, said the 17-coach train left Chittagong station for Dhaka around 6:30am. The fire broke out in a power car located in front of an air-conditioned coach labelled "Cha" when the train reached the BMA gate area around 7am.
He said an elderly passenger first noticed the fire while going to the washroom and alerted others, prompting an immediate signal to stop the train. After it halted, passengers disembarked. The affected power car and the adjacent coach were later detached and taken to Faujdarhat station.
Train movement on the Dhaka-bound line at the BMA gate area remains suspended, while services continue on the Chittagong-bound line.
FP/A
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