CHENNAI: Eighteen wagons of a freight train derailed near Tiruvallur on Sunday morning, with 13 of them catching fire. The train was carrying diesel, and the incident caused massive disruption on the railway line.
Several express trains were cancelled, diverted, or short-terminated. The thick, black smoke that billowed from the fire also affected road traffic on the busy Chennai-Tirupati highway.
The incident reportedly happened after a few wagons of the goods train carrying fuel from the port derailed, leading to fuel spill. The sparked caused by the derailment triggered the fire and four wagons were affected, said a Daily Thanthi report.
According to the Southern Railway, all EMU local train services in the Chennai–Arakkonam section were temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure.
Due to the accident, eight express trains were cancelled, five express trains were diverted, and eight trains were short-terminated, said the statement, adding that personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services, along with Railway officials, were immediately deployed and are actively managing the situation at the site.
Restoration work is in progress, and normal train operations will resume at the earliest., it added.
For assistance, passengers may call the Helpline numbers: 044-25354151 and 044-24354995
Meanwhile, concerned that the fire could spread to other wagons, authorities warned the public and others from going near the area.
Following the fire in the fuel-laden freight train, thick, black smoke engulfed the area, severely affecting visibility. Officials have indicated that traffic on the Chennai-Tirupati highway may also be affected due to the smoke and ongoing emergency operations.