Hooghly, 17 September (H.S.): Panic broke out among passengers of the up Kanchanjunga Express (13173), bound for North Bengal, after smoke was noticed coming from underneath one of its coaches on Thursday morning. The train was stopped near Belmuri station as a precautionary measure after the driver noticed the smoke. No casualties have been reported.

According to information, the 13173 Up Kanchanjunga Express, travelling from Sealdah to North Bengal, was passing through the Howrah-Bardhaman Chord Line when smoke was noticed underneath a coach near Belmuri station. The incident caused panic among passengers, with several of them getting down from the train and moving onto the platform.

Preliminary reports suggest that the smoke may have been caused by friction involving the brake shoe of a wheel. Railway officials were informed about the incident and reached the spot to inspect the situation and address the problem.

After a halt of around 20 minutes, the train resumed its journey towards its destination at 8:22 am.

Notably, on June 17, 2024, the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express was hit from behind by a goods train near Rangapani in Darjeeling. The accident resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries. The subsequent investigation pointed to issues related to the signalling system.

Although no major accident occurred in Thursday’s incident, the smoke emerging from beneath the coach caused considerable anxiety among passengers.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey