Four coaches of the Karmabhoomi Express caught fire near Sarai Banjara in Punjab's Rajpura on Friday, triggering panic among passengers and prompting an emergency evacuation. No casualties or injuries have been reported so far.

The blaze is believed to have originated in the train's pantry before spreading to several adjoining coaches. The fire was subsequently brought under control, officials said.

The train was travelling towards Bihar when the incident occurred. Passengers were alerted after the train's fire alarm went off, giving them time to leave the affected coaches and evacuate safely.

Patiala Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said the district administration received information about the incident approximately 45 minutes before his statement. Preliminary inputs indicated that the fire had broken out in the pantry and spread to two other coaches.

District administration teams rushed to the location after receiving the alert. Senior railway officials were also headed to the site to assess the situation and take stock of the damage.

RAILWAYS ORDERS HIGH-LEVEL INQUIRY

The Railways has initiated a high-level investigation to establish what caused the fire and how it spread across the coaches.

Officials said the inquiry would examine all possible factors behind the incident. A detailed assessment of the damage to the affected coaches is also awaited.

While the fire has been extinguished, further details about its cause and the circumstances surrounding its outbreak are yet to emerge. The timely activation of the fire alarm helped passengers evacuate before the situation could result in any reported casualties.