The Mamata Banerjee led TMC government of West Bengal on Friday blamed the Kolkata Metro authorities for the fire in an air-conditioned train that left 16 people injured and said it may take legal action against them.
Dense smoked filled the coaches that led to a Panic over 1,500 passengers traveling in a Metro train in Kolkata on Thursday at a tunnel between the Rabindra Sadan and Maidan stations.
The air-conditioned metro was on its way from Kavi Subhash to Dumdum. The train was stopped inside the tunnel and passengers were evacuated within an hour. Some passengers complained of respiratory distress and were rushed to a hospital.
“I have told Director General, Fire Services, to take action as per law. If needed, we will also file an FIR (against Metro Railway),” West Bengal Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose said. The minister has also asked the state fire services chief to issue a notice to the metro authorities to inspect its passenger safety systems.
“We will issue a notice to the Kolkata Metro to look into its fire safety and passenger safety systems. If something is found to be amiss, then necessary action will be taken in this regard,” West Bengal Fire Services Director General Jagmohan told PTI.
In the Meanwhile, The Fire Services Department and the Kolkata Police held a meeting on Friday and it was decided that steps are needed to be taken for better coordination between the two during emergencies, the director general said.
The Metro Railway has ordered a high-level inquiry to ascertain the reason and the source of the fire, its chief public relations officer, Indrani Banerjee, had said on Thursday.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and Railway Standing Committee Chairman Sudip Bandyopadhyay has sought a report with December 31 from General Manager, and Metro Railway over the issue.
The West Bengal Youth Congress Unit on Friday staged a protest outside Metro Office on the issue.