Tiruvallur: A major fire broke out on a goods train carrying diesel from the Indian Oil Corporation terminal in Chennai to Bengaluru near the Tiruvallur station early on Sunday, spreading panic and disrupting rain services along the Chennai-Arakkonam route.
According to officials, the blaze, which started in one wagon around 5:20 AM, spread to four others, triggering a significant fuel leak and dense smoke. No casualties have been reported. QFire tenders from Chennai and Tiruvallur, along with railway maintenance teams, are battling the flames.
A preliminary probe suggests that the fire broke out after four wagons of the train derailed. Diesel may have leaked and caught fire due to sparks during the derailment. However, the exact cause will only be known later.
Locals have been evacuated and the accident site cordoned off to prevent any untoward incident. Experts say that a blast could have taken place due to build up of gas. This could have caused damage to neighbouring areas.
Tiruvallur district collector M Prathap urged the public to avoid the area to aid emergency operations. Southern Railway suspended overhead power supply, halting local train services.
Southern Railway said that eight express trains, including those to Mysore, Bengaluru, and Coimbatore, were cancelled, five were diverted, and eight others were short-terminated.
“Efforts are underway to detach unaffected wagons and restore normalcy,” a railway official said. Patients in nearby hospitals have been shifted to safer facilities as a precaution,” Srinivasa Perumal, SP, Tiruvallur said, adding, “The fire department and railway authorities are working tirelessly to contain the blaze and prevent further damage.”
