Expert teams assist in investigating a major fire incident at Visakhapatnam railway station

An expert team, including officials from East Coast Railway (ECoR) headquarters at Bhubaneswar, Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Research Design & Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow, and the State forensics team have arrived here on Monday to assist the ongoing inquiry into the major fire incident in an AC coach of 18517 Kobra Express on the platform number 4 of Visakhapatnam railway station on Sunday.

The Waltair Railway Divisional Manager Saurabh Prasad and his team took the special investigation team to the incident spot and also to the burnt empty AC coach, which was contained for investigation. The coach was taken to the maintenance depot for investigation and rectification.

“The teams thoroughly checked with technical devices to preliminarily understand the reasons behind the sudden fire in the empty locked 3^rd AC coach, which was on the way to maintenance on Sunday. The coach had arrived at 6.30 am on Sunday. Just before leaving the station at 9.40 am, the smoke was noticed by the alert RPF staff and nearby catering stall manager. Fire brigade arrived at 10.10 a.m. to douse the fire,” a railway official, who accompanied the inquiry team, told The Hindu on Monday. Experts reportedly told the investigating team to thoroughly check the battery.

The high level inquiry committee comprising Surath Jani (Chief Electrical Engineer), S.C. Behera (Chief Rolling Stock Engineer), and B.S. Nath (Chief Security Commissioner) of East Coast Railway, inspected the station yard and the coach at the maintenance depot and commenced investigation. They spoke to the railway officers, staff and the station personnel.

Principal Chief Electrical Engineer from Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, where the coach was manufactured, and Principal Executive Director from RDSO Lucknow also reached Visakhapatnam for detailed technical analysis.

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