Kolkata: Train services on the Sealdah (South) Division’s Baruipur-Diamond Harbour section were disrupted for nearly 40 minutes on Monday afternoon after a fire broke out in an unauthorised shop adjacent to Platforms 2 and 3 of Magrahat Station.
The fire, which started around 2:48 pm, led Railway authorities to immediately cut off the Overhead Electrification (OHE) power supply as a safety precaution. This resulted in the temporary suspension of train operations in the affected section. Eyewitnesses reported that the fire started in an illegal shop and quickly spread to nearby establishments in the crowded area, with flames and thick black smoke visible from a distance, triggering panic among passengers. Several shops were destroyed before the blaze was brought under control.
Eastern Railway (ER) officials confirmed that station staff, assisted by local residents, extinguished the flames by 3:30 pm. Train services resumed shortly thereafter, though two pairs of local trains on the Diamond Harbour section experienced minor delays. Following the incident, ER reiterated its long-standing appeal for unauthorised shop owners and vendors to vacate encroached areas and refrain from using fire within station premises due to safety concerns.
“The appeal is once again reiterated to not use any fire or keep any possible source of fire at Railway stations,” an ER spokesperson stated.
Passengers have also been encouraged to raise their voices against illegal encroachments, which obstruct movement and against the use of fire at station premises, which causes safety issues.