India: Over 200 vehicles burnt in Varanasi railway station fire

A devastating fire broke out early Saturday (Nov 30) morning in the parking area of Varanasi's Cantt railway station in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh which led to the destruction of over 200 two-wheelers. 

The blaze, which severely damaged the vehicles, fortunately caused no casualties. Authorities have confirmed that there were no injuries, but the incident led to significant property loss as reported by NDTV.

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Railway employees among the victims

Many of the damaged vehicles belonged to railway employees who had parked their two-wheelers in the lot. One railway worker shared his experience of a narrow escape. "I parked my bike around 12 am. One of the people near the vehicle parking told me that a short circuit had occurred around 11 pm and was fixed. A few hours later, a passenger informed me about a fire outside. I quickly moved my bike to the other side, and soon the flames spread across the parking lot" he said.

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Dramatic visuals from the scene showed towering flames and thick clouds of smoke filling the air, as the fire quickly spread through the parking area. Emergency services, including over 12 fire brigade vehicles, were dispatched to control the flames. Teams from the Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF) and local police also joined the efforts. After two hours of intense firefighting, the blaze was finally brought under control.

Short circuit suspected as cause

Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire was caused by a short circuit. GRP Circle Officer Kunwar Bahadur Singh mentioned that some bicycles were among the vehicles damaged in the blaze. Singh confirmed that authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire.

(With inputs from agencies)