A major fire was averted in an AC coach of the Kanchanjangha Express today by an alert station master of Mangoorganj in Kisanganj district who sighted smoke and informed the driver in the nick of time.
Station Master Binod Kumar Vicki saw smoke emanating from an AC coach of the train and alerted the driver and conductor over walkie talkie. The driver stopped the train at the outer signal after applying emergency break, Railways sources said.
When the train stopped, smoke was seen coming out from the AC coach which was doused by the station master along with other Railways employees, they said.
The train started from New Jalpaiguri at 7:40 am and was to stop at Aluwari station at 8:40 am, before the smoke was detected at Mangoorganj, about 5 minutes before the Aluwari station, they said.
The train which travels from Guwahati to Sealdah, later left for its onward journey, the sources said.
Mangoorganj falls in Katihar Railway division.
