Fire affects Karmabhoomi Express near Rajpura

The Karmabhoomi Express, train 12508, was affected by a fire near Rajpura in Punjab on Friday, November 6, railway officials and reports said. No casualties had been reported at the time of publication. The cause and full extent of the damage were not confirmed. A senior railway official from the Ambala Division confirmed the incident on the train, which was travelling from Amritsar to New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. The official said the fire occurred a little ahead of Rajpura station. Another report placed the incident near Basantpura railway station, close to Rajpura. One account said four coaches caught fire, with the blaze first detected in the fifth coach from the engine before spreading. That coach count and sequence were not confirmed by the railway official quoted in the other report. The reporting did not establish how many coaches were ultimately affected. A short circuit was suggested as a possible cause in preliminary information, but officials had not confirmed it. Railway officials and emergency personnel were reported to have responded, and an inquiry was expected to examine the cause and damage. No findings or final damage assessment had been reported at...