Badampahar/Jamshedpur: Passengers on board a train bound for Badampahar on Odisha from Tatanagar (Jamshedpur) in Jharkhand had a narrow escape on Thursday evening after miscreants set fire to the tracks near the Sidirsai Halt.
The alert motorman of the Tata-Badampahar MEMU spotted the fire from a distance and stopped the train in time.
The incident occurred near the Dharuwalung-Paharibhanga and Damudih railway crossings, just before Sidirsai Halt. After the incident, the train had to be stopped at the spot. Services were disrupted for a while and there was considerable panic among passengers, NDTV reported.
The train departed from Tatanagar around 6 pm on Thursday. It had crossed Haldipokhar station and was proceeding towards Sidirsai when the motorman noticed flames burning between and around the railway tracks.
Several passengers got down after the train stopped and noticed that the fire was still burning on and around the tracks. They joined hands with railway personnel to extinguish the flames and managed to bring the fire under control in approximately 10 minutes.
The train resumed its journey towards Badampahar once the fire had been extinguished and the track was considered safe.
An inquiry has been initiated by the railway police. They are questioning people living in the surrounding areas in order to identify those responsible, it was reported.
The unidentified miscreants may have deliberately started the fire between the railway tracks in an attempt to stop the approaching passenger train, it is being suspected. The identities of those involved and their motive have not yet been independently established.
The authorities have cautioned people against carrying out dangerous activities near railway tracks, warning that such actions could put the lives of hundreds of passengers at risk.The authorities also warned that individuals found responsible would face legal action under the Railways Act.