Kolkata, 1 September (H.S.) -Panic gripped passengers of the Howrah–Burdwan main line local on Monday night when flames were spotted between two coaches as the train halted at Hooghly station.

According to eyewitnesses, as the up local from Howrah entered the station, passengers noticed fire between the second and third coaches. Alarmed commuters rushed out of the compartments and informed the guard. Railway staff from Bandel quickly reached the spot and managed to douse the flames after several minutes of effort. The train resumed its onward journey to Burdwan after the situation was brought under control.

Eastern Railway spokesperson Deeptimay Dutta on Tuesday explained that the blaze was triggered by sparks at the junction of two coaches. “A large number of wires are bundled at the inter-coach connections. If a nut loosens, friction can cause a flash, which results in flames. Fortunately, nothing major occurred. The train was halted briefly, but services remain normal,” he said.

A passenger reported that the fire appeared between the ladies’ and general compartments, sparking chaos as people scrambled to safety. Though the flames were eventually contained, he said, “The way it was burning, everyone was terrified.”

While the official version suggested the train moved shortly after, passengers claimed the service departed for Burdwan only several hours later.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh