Major fire on Garib Rath Express near Sirhind, miraculous escape for passengers

A fire broke out in an AC coach of the Amritsar–Saharsa Garib Rath Express early Saturday morning while the train was passing near Sirhind Junction in Punjab (Source: Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

The incident occurred around 7:30 AM when passengers noticed smoke coming from one of the 3AC coaches (Source: Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

Alert crew members immediately pulled the emergency chain, bringing the train to a halt near Sirhind (Source: Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

Passengers were safely evacuated from the affected coach, preventing a potential tragedy (Source: Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

One passenger, a woman, reportedly suffered minor burns during the evacuation but was given prompt medical attention (Source: Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

Fire tenders and railway officials arrived quickly at the site and managed to douse the flames before they could spread to other coaches (Source: Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

No major casualties were reported, and the remaining passengers were later accommodated in unaffected coaches (Source: Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

Preliminary checks did not reveal any evidence of sabotage or explosives; officials suspect a technical malfunction (Source: Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

The affected coach was detached, and the train continued its journey after safety clearance from railway authorities (Source: Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

An inquiry has been ordered by the Northern Railway to determine the exact cause of the fire and review safety measures on similar AC coaches (Source: Photo by Gurmeet Singh)