Overloaded circuit may have caused rail dorm fire

Aurangabad: Senior railway officials, who on Sunday visited the site of recent fire at Aurangabad railway station, said a probe into the incident would be completed in the next seven days and action would be taken against those found guilty.

While short circuit was earlier cited as a possible reason for the blaze, senior officials said overloading on electrical circuit could be the cause behind the fire that gutted the caretaker's cabin and damaged an air-conditioned room at the dormitory among other damages to the retiring room.

Activists have blamed the railway administration for not taking adequate precautionary measures of installation of circuit breakers, which could have averted the fire.

Additional divisional railway manager C M Gupta of South Central Railway, Nanded division, said only the probe could ascertain the reasons behind the fire. "It could take a maximum of a month to re-open the dormitory. We could consider opening it partially. Non air-conditioned rooms at retiring rooms have been spared from the fire and could be opened earlier," Gupta said, adding that the retiring facility for passengers at Aurangabad railway station already reports relatively less occupancy.

Railway officials said quick measures were taken to douse the fire with the help of fire brigade and the cost of the damaged property would be ascertained during the probe.

"The fire broke out at around 4.30am on Friday and the situation was brought under control within next 20 minutes or so. The fire fighting equipment available with us was also used to douse the fire," Gupta said.

Located on the first floor of the new building of the Aurangabad railway station, the retiring facility has around 40 beds and nine separate rooms with two beds each. Some of these 40 beds, which are part of AC dormitory, were damaged due to fire besides major damage to the cabin of the caretaker.

Rajkumar Somani of advocacy group Marathwada Railway Pravasi Sena said the fire could have been easily avoided had the railway authorities followed recommended safety measures.

"None other than the authority of the level of the divisional railway manager had instructed that a circuit breaker must be installed for the retiring cabin and other establishments at Aurangabad railway station. The recommendation was neglected for months and because of such carelessness, huge damage has been incurred to the public property," he said.

The burnt AC room at the retiring cabin, around 300 blankets, pillow covers and other material was damaged considerably due to fire, besides blackening of the ceilings and walls of a major portion of the new building. All the nine passengers residing in the room were evacuated safely, though one woman suffered injuries to her right hand and back as a piece from the ceiling fell on her and three others suffered mild suffocation due to the smoke.

Railway authorities said a proposal is being mooted to have a door at the back of the retiring room to facilitate exit during emergency situations.