Patna: A passenger train caught fire at the Patna railway station on Wednesday but there was no immediate report of any casualty.
"Nobody has so far been reported hurt or killed in the blaze as all disembarked from the stationary train on hearing the shouts of fire," Railway sources said.
The head engine of the diesel multiple unit train caught fire at around 4.20 pm, 20 minutes ahead of its departure from platform 9 of the Patna junction, the sources said, adding fire engines were deployed to douse the blaze.
The fire gutted the head engine and the adjacent compartment of the 577 up Patna-Gaya passenger train, the sources said.
According to eyewitnesses, there was an explosion inside and soon the blaze spread to the entire engine and the adjoining compartment, which were detached from the rest of the train.
Railway sources said prima facie the blaze was caused by a short circuit and a few railway employees present there tried to extinguish it through the hydrants at the station, but in vain.