Bhubaneswar: A major fire broke out in the passengers’ waiting room at the Bhubaneswar railway station around 8 am Friday. While the flames were doused in time, no casualty has been reported. Fire services personnel rushed to the spot as soon as panicked passengers ran out screaming for help.
An eyewitness, constable Ananta Dalei, said, “I was doing my duty in the parking area when I noticed fire near the second class waiting room. I rushed to the station master’s room and grabbed the fire extinguisher. I tried to douse the flames but the intensity had grown. By that time, the fire services personnel had reached the spot and helped in the extinguishing process.”
The rescue personnel had acted promptly and averted a major mishap as the fire occurred just outside the waiting hall (near the entrance).
Taking a serious note of the incident, ECoR has ordered a fact-finding inquiry and its report will be submitted to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Khurda Road.
While the exact reason for the blaze is yet to be ascertained, some said that a lit cigarette was the cause; some others said that it was due to a short circuit in the electrical system. Meanwhile, the ECoR authorities have ordered a massive eviction drive on the station premises.
Senior officers from ECOR headquarters and from Khurda Road rushed to Bhubaneswar to take stock of the situation. Additional General Manager of ECoR Sudhir Kumar visited the site with senior officials.
After reviewing the situation, Kumar issued standing instructions to the railway staff to prevent similar incident in future.
ECoR instructions on safety
- Strict lookout for vagabonds and undesirable elements in and around the railway station premises.
- No unauthorised parking of vehicles and two-wheelers to be allowed.
- Parking areas to be kept free of people loitering around the place. Fines to be imposed strictly on people littering railway areas and throwing garbage.
- Sharp lookout for people smoking cigarettes/beedis and throwing stubs in garbage dumps. This is a potential safety hazard.
- Garbage cleaning to be intensified from now onwards as heaps of plastic waste and garbage was thrown in the area where the fire occurred.
- Due to severe winter conditions, it has been anticipated that there may be occasions when some people may light a small fire and sit around it. This type of situation will not be allowed near the railway areas.
