Title - Short circuit causes fire, guts coach at Basin Bridge yard -

An empty train compartment attached to the Ganga Kaveri Express, stationed at the coach maintenance yard in Basin Bridge, was completely gutted in a fire accident on Saturday. Four other coaches of the train were affected and the adjacent Kaveri Express also suffered minor damages, a Government Railway Police (GRP) officer said.“It appears that electric short circuit is the cause of the fire accident reported at 8.40 am. It started in S1 coach of Ganga Kaveri Express, spread to an air-conditioned compartment, besides two coaches of Kaveri Express train, stationed near it,” the officer said. “Only one coach of Ganga Kaveri Express was fully damaged and the other four compartments were partially affected,” he added. Three fire tenders from Basin Bridge, Pulianthope and Washermanpet rushed to the spot to put out the fire. Asked about reports on usage of mobile charger in one of the coaches triggering the fire, the police said that no mobile charger was traced at the spot.“We received a complaint on the fire accident from the railways. Also the railway authorities would conduct an enquiry,” an official stated. However, sources with the railways claim that usage of inappropriate fuse could be a reason behind the electrical short circuit. In some trains, wires are used in the place of fuse, they alleged.Meanwhile, a Southern Railway spokesman claimed that the damage could be around `80 lakh. The spokesman said alternative coaches were attached to run the trains.