RailEnquiry

The Ponmalai railway workshop on Sunday witnessed another fire accident, the second in a matter of two days. The fire broke out at the diesel loco shed, and the waste materials that were dumped there were reduced to ashes.

Railway sources said that waste materials like unused engine spares and gas spray containers were usually collected and dumped at the diesel shed, which would be later put to auction by officials. Besides this, there was also other materials which were not meant to be auctioned.

A minor fire which broke out in the shed on Sunday morning, turned wild as the gas spray containers burst one after the other with a deafening sound.

On receiving information, personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services in Ponmalai and Tiruchy rushed to the spot and fought the blaze for about an hour before they were able to bring the fire under control.

Ponmalai diesel loco officials also rushed to the place and assessed the extent of damage caused by the fire. It is said that the loss was minimal, since the burnt materials were only scrap. However, Southern Railway have launched an investigation to ascertain as to how the fire broke out.

This is the second fire accident at Ponmalai. The earlier one occurred at the train drivers’ training centre due to a short circuit at an AC room during the early hours of Friday.

The railway diesel engine shed is located behind the Ponmalai railway station. The diesel engine drivers’ training centre is also functioning there, where diesel engine drivers undergo mandatory training before they are appointed to the job.

The fire at the Drivers Training Centre is said to have been caused due to a short circuit, and a number of advanced machines worth lakhs were damaged. The fire broke out at the AC room and officials informed that a departmental enquiry is currently on to ascertain the exact cause.