A fire on the Amritsar–New Jalpaiguri Karmabhoomi Express near Sarai Banjara railway station in Punjab forced the evacuation of about 1,500 passengers, injured at least 15 people and temporarily halted train movement on both sides of the affected rail section.
The fire broke out shortly after the train crossed Sadhugarh village while it was passing through the Sarai Banjara–Basantpura stretch, about 15 km from Rajpura, railway and police officials said. The train was travelling on the Rajpura–Ambala–Delhi route when smoke spread through the affected coaches and passengers raised an alarm.
Four general coaches were detached from the train after it was brought to a halt. Railway officials said the fourth coach was separated as a precaution even though it had not suffered major damage apart from a partially damaged door. The loco pilot and guard detached the affected coaches to prevent the fire from spreading to the rest of the train.
Four fire tenders were deployed, and the blaze was brought under control with the assistance of railway staff, police, civil authorities, fire personnel and local residents. Patiala GRP DSP Gurdeep Singh said passengers were taken to hospitals in Rajpura and Fatehgarh Sahib. Rajpura civil hospital received 15 passengers, including eight with minor burn injuries, while one passenger was treated at Fatehgarh Sahib Civil Hospital. The patients were reported to be stable, and one passenger was later discharged.
Maninder Mohan, 56, who was travelling to Muzaffarpur, said smoke filled his coach. He told officials that he broke an emergency windowpane and jumped out while escaping, sustaining minor injuries.
The Patiala district administration sent ambulances, fire brigade teams and police personnel to the site after receiving information about the incident. The GRP and Railway Protection Force assisted with evacuation and passenger support, while medical teams were deployed at Sarai Banjara station. Patiala Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal and Senior Superintendent of Police Harmandeep Hans visited the site along with other district and railway officials.
Railway officials switched off the power supply to both overhead electric lines as a safety measure. Train operations in both directions were suspended until the track was declared safe and were subsequently restored. Ambala divisional railway manager Vinod Bhatia said railway safety protocols were activated immediately after the fire was detected and that a detailed forensic investigation would establish the cause.
Stationed passengers received food, drinking water and transport arranged by the Railways and the Punjab administration. Punjab Roadways buses and other local vehicles were deployed, while food packets, tea and biscuits were distributed. A community meal was also organised with support from a local gurdwara.
Two special trains were later operated from Sarai Banjara towards New Jalpaiguri to help stranded passengers continue their journey. Railway authorities continued efforts to remove the damaged coaches and restore normal rail traffic on the route.
