Fire Incident on Vijayawada-Hubballi Express

A fire related incident occurred in the SSS Hubballi Express travelling from Vijayawada to Hubballi early Wednesday morning. Around 15 minutes after the train crossed Ballari station, smoke was noticed in the A1 AC coach shortly after 1 a.m., causing panic among passengers. K. Kiran, who was distributing blankets in the coach and was awake at the time, noticed the smoke and immediately alerted the railway staff and passengers. Railway personnel inspected the coach and brought the situation under control using a fire extinguisher. According to railway staff, a preliminary assessment indicated that a short circuit may have occurred after a rat damaged electrical wires in the coach.

Passengers were evacuated from the coach after the smoke was detected. The evacuation reportedly became difficult as the area where the train stopped was dark and railway construction material was lying beside the tracks. Some passengers said they suffered minor injuries during the rush, while others reported losing mobile phones, bags and other belongings while getting off the train in the emergency. After repairs were completed, railway staff asked passengers to reboard the train and assured them that the issue had been resolved. Passengers said Kiran’s alertness and the prompt response of railway staff helped prevent the incident from escalating into a major accident.