Fire at Muzaffarpur railway station sparks panic

Patna: A fire broke out at Muzaffarpur railway station under Samastipur division of the East Central Railway (ECR) on Thursday, triggering panic among passengers on platform number 1.According to eyewitnesses, thick smoke was first noticed around 6am billowing out of a TV announcing server room, which was outsourced to a private agency and located near the foot overbridge (FOB) and the passenger waiting room on platform 1. Within moments, the smoke spread rapidly, alarming passengers waiting on the platform to board trains, they said.Sensing danger to their lives, panic-stricken passengers began running from one end of the platform to the other in a bid to reach safety. The chaotic situation resembled a stampede, though railway authorities confirmed no injuries or casualties were reported in the incident, Muzaffarpur RPF said.According to Muzaffarpur RPF inspector Manish Kumar, Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel rushed to the spot immediately after receiving information. Firefighters acted swiftly and managed to bring the blaze under control before it could spread further around 6.25am, he said.According to sources, the fire caused damage to railway property, including valuable documents, computer systems and furniture kept inside the affected room. Railway officials suspect the incident was triggered by a short circuit, though a detailed investigation is underway, sources said.This is the second such incident at the station within a week. Just three days ago, on April 20, a fire had broken out in the passenger reservation system (PRS) office at Muzaffarpur, reportedly due to a short circuit, sources said.According to Samastipur public relation officer R K Singh, divisional railway manager Jyoti Prakash Mishra took the incident seriously and ordered a formal inquiry to determine the exact cause and assess lapses, if any, he said.In addition, the railways has lodged an FIR with the Muzaffarpur GRP against the private agency for negligence in maintaining fire safety measures inside the room, while a fire safety audit would be carried out thoroughly at Muzaffarpur station to check recurrence of such incidents in future during peak summer, Singh said.