Over 200 vehicles gutted in Raipur station fire

A massive blaze in the parking lot of Raipur railway station on Sunday left over 200 two-wheelers burnt to cinder.

The fire broke out in the parking lot at 11 a.m. on Sunday and swept through the area where the two-wheelers were parked.

Railway SP Parul Mathur told reporters that 220 two-wheelers were burnt. "The moment we learnt of the fire, the Raipur Rail Mandal Divisional Railway Manager Rahul Gautam, the Raipur city SSP Vijay Agrawal and other officials reached the spot," said Mathur who too went to the incident site.

She said the cause of the fire has not been yet ascertained.

However, eyewitnesses said a heap of rubbish was being burnt in the parking lot, which could have led to the blaze. The embers from the fire first ignited a motorcycle nearby, and suddenly all the two-wheelers lined there went up in flames.

Officials said the parking attendant could be hauled up for dereliction of duty.

According to the Government Railway Police, the fire service was informed, but the fire tenders arrived after 45 minutes, by which time the fire had turned into a huge blaze.

Over six fire tenders were requisitioned to douse the fire.

--IANS

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