A loud explosion shattered the silence on a moving train late at night. Thick black smoke quickly filled the AC coach. The automatic fire alarm went off, and sleeping passengers woke up in absolute panic.
A loud blast woke up passengers on a moving train late at night. Thick black smoke filled the AC coach within moments. The automatic fire alarm started ringing, and sleeping passengers panicked. Many started rushing around to save their lives. This scary incident happened on the Mumbai-Howrah Mail near Bandamunda station in Odisha early Saturday morning. A power bank left on charge exploded and started the fire. Railway security guards and staff acted quickly, and they prevented a major disaster.
What exactly happened
The incident took place on the 12809 Down Mumbai-Howrah Mail. The train was passing the down line near the Bandamunda electric shed in the Chakradharpur division around 3:38 AM on Saturday. The blast happened at berth number 6 in the B-3 AC three-tier coach, which is the 14th coach from the engine. A passenger plugged his power bank into the charging socket at night and fell asleep. The device stayed plugged in all night. It overheated and suddenly exploded.
Blast shakes the coach
The loud explosion shook the entire coach. The power bank caught fire instantly, and toxic smoke spread through the compartment. The automatic sensors in the AC coach detected the smoke. The fire alarm rang loudly, and the train stopped automatically near Bandamunda. The sudden smoke and alarm in the dark created total confusion and fear among the passengers. People initially thought someone pulled the chain to stop the train. Railway officials checked and confirmed later that the fire security system stopped the train automatically.
Quick action by RPF
Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and commercial staff rushed to the spot immediately. They brought fire extinguishers and took quick action. They brought the fire under control in very little time. The staff then arranged to clear the smoke from the coach. Fortunately, no passenger suffered any injuries in this scary incident.
Full support for the passenger
The on-duty Travelling Ticket Inspector (TTI) provided all necessary help to the affected passenger. The blast damaged the passenger’s berth, so the TTI shifted him to a vacant berth quickly. The situation became completely normal after some time. The Mumbai-Howrah Mail resumed its journey towards its destination at 3:53 AM, after a 15-minute halt.
Railways issues power bank request
Aditya Chowdhury, the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (Sr. DCM) of the Chakradharpur railway division, confirmed the incident. He stated that the passenger left the device on charge late at night and fell asleep, which caused the blast. Railway authorities have taken a major decision to improve passenger safety and stop such dangerous incidents. They will now strictly enforce the rule to turn off all charging points late at night on every mail and express train across the country. The Railways also requested passengers not to leave their power banks or mobile phones on charge while sleeping at night.