COIMBATORE: A brief moment of panic prevailed at the Coonoor railway station on Monday after a minor fire broke out in the engine of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) train during routine operational work.

On Monday, the train arrived at Coonoor from Mettupalayam, where passengers disembarked. Subsequently, the railway staff began the process of replacing the furnace oil engine with a diesel engine for the onward journey to Ooty.

"While the furnace oil engine was detached and moved separately, a sudden fire broke out near the oil tube section of the engine. The loco pilot acted swiftly and doused the flames with a fire extinguisher to prevent their further spread.

Later, the railway staff moved the furnace oil engine to a workshop for repair. The services then resumed after a while," said an official.