MOULVIBAZAR, June 11 (UNB): Rail communications on the Dhaka-Sylhet route were restored Saturday afternoon after three hours of suspension following a fire incident on an intercity train at Srimangal of Moulvibazar district, authorities said.
The rail link resumed at 4:00 pm as intercity train "Parabat Express" left for Sylhet, said Mohammad Rafiq, stationmaster at Srimangal Railway Station.
The fire broke out at the power car of the running train around 12:45 pm and spread soon, said Farid Ahmed, station manager at Srimangal Railway Station.
Later, four firefighting units managed to douse the flames after one and a half hours' frantic effort but three of AC compartments were charred.
The fire broke out at the power car of the train when it reached near Shamshernagar Air Base and spread to two other coaches.
At first, the locals tried to put out the flames and later firefighting units from Kamalganj, Moulvibazar, Sreemangal and Kulaura rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze.
Abu Bakkar, sub-inspector at Shamshernagar Railway Station, said three compartments of the train were gutted in the fire.
No casualties were reported in the fire as the authorities concerned managed to stop the train in time.
Sukhen Das Plabon, a train passenger, said he noticed smoke billowing from the train. When he along with others came forward, they saw the train caught fire. Immediately, they informed the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) who asked the driver to stop the train.
A seven-member committee, led by additional magistrate of Moulvibazar district Abdul Haque, has been formed to investigate the fire incident.
The three damaged compartments are now being taken to Kulaura upazila, said stationmaster Md Rafiq.
