Four passengers of the Howrah-bound 13006 Amritsar Mail were injured when they jumped off the running train after a fire extinguisher cylinder leaked in the general coach near Shahjahanpur on Sunday morning.
All the injured have been admitted to the government hospital in Shahjahanpur. However, the railways claimed that only two passengers were injured in the freak accident.
RPF sources said at around 9 am on Sunday morning, the Amritsar Mail reached Bahgul bridge between Miranpur Katra and Fatehganj, when gas started leaking suddenly from the fire extinguisher in the general bogie, causing panic among the passengers.
Some passengers pulled the chain to stop the train, but by the time the train stopped, several people jumped from the running train. Kuldeep of Kannauj, Shiv Sahay of Amethi, Ruby Lal Hajda and Anwari Begum of Jharkhand were injured.
The RPF sources said that gas had started coming out due to unplugging of the pin of the cylinder.
The Railways is investigating whether the incident was a conspiracy or an accident.
Due to the incident the train was detained at Shahjahanpur station for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, a report from Sonbhadra said that rail services were affected after two wagons of a goods train carrying coal along with the engine derailed under Shaktinagar police station area at 11 am on Sunday.
The coal rake was going to UP Government’s Anpara Thermal Power Plant from NCL’s Khadiya coal mine.
None was however injured in the accident while relief and rescue work was underway to restore the rail services.