CHENNAI: A massive fire broke out near the Tiruvallur railway station early Sunday when one of the wagons of a goods train carrying diesel derailed, throwing several train services off schedule and passengers scrambling through the day.
The train was moving from Chennai Harbour to Walajah Road Siding. No casualty was reported in the incident that happened around 5:30 am on Sunday. The Southern Railway (SR) announced that it took firefighters 10 hours to bring the blaze under control. Diesel worth Rs 12 crore was damaged in the fire.
The fire sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky, causing fear among residents around the area. Nearly 500 residents from the Irular hamlet and Periyakuppam near the Tiruvallur railway station were safely evacuated to a nearby location, as the area surrounding the accident site remained engulfed in smoke for most part of the day.
The goods train comprised 52 wagons, each with a capacity of 70,000 litres. Immediately after the third wagon from the engine derailed and sparked the fire, the loco pilot applied emergency brakes. The station master at Tiruvallur promptly shut off the overhead power supply as a precaution. This sent 18 other wagons to derail, 13 of them catching fire as a total of 12 lakh litres of diesel stored in them ignited.
Subsequently 30 unaffected wagons and the locomotive were safely detached and isolated from the accident site. Four wagons that were trailing the 18 derailed ones were also removed from the spot.
Fire damaged 200 m of rly track, high-power cables
Southern Railway General Manager RN Singh inspected the firefighting operation and recovery efforts, stating, "Within minutes of the accident, the Mangalore Express was about to pass through that route, but prompt action by railway officials ensured the train was stopped and passengers were sent to Egattur railway station. The state government made arrangements to transport the passengers by road. Many trains were cancelled. A committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the accident."
The accident damaged approximately 200 metres of railway track and high-power cables. Efforts by Southern Railway workers were under way at an urgent pace to mitigate the situation and restore train services as soon as possible.
Tiruvallur Collector M Prathap said, "Fifteen foam fire engine trucks were dispatched to the scene to combat the fire. As thick black smoke could pose breathing difficulties in asthma patients, we advised them to stay clear of the smoke.”
The Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare SM Nasar, Tiruvallur Superintendent of Police R Srinivasa Perumal, president of the All India Railwaymen Federation N Kanniah, and senior officials from the SR and NDRF visited the spot.
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