A coach of the Silchar-Thiruvananthapuram Express was gutted and two coaches were partially damaged after the stationary train caught fire at Silchar station here on Sunday. However, no casualty has been reported.

The train runs from Silchar twice a week and plies on the second longest rail route in India.

According to sources, the incident took place around 7.40am on Sunday.

The train, which was stationed at platform number 4 since Friday and was scheduled to depart for Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, caught fire suddenly, triggering panic among passengers and others at the station.

Thick smoke, billowing out of the train, engulfed the station soon.

Firefighters reached the spot around 8am and managed to douse the flames after trying for nearly an hour.

The S-9 (sleeper class) coach was destroyed and two other coaches, including the pantry car, were partially damaged, sources said.

The news of the fire was making the rounds on social media with a large number of people posting and sharing pictures and videos of the incident.

It was the first such incident at Silchar station after implementation of the broad-gauge project in 2015.

The Silchar-Agartala train, which was scheduled to leave the station for Agartala at 8am, however, departed on time.

An RPF officer told The Telegraph over phone that an inquiry had been initiated.

Railway officials from Badarpur have reached Silchar station following the incident. “Some more senior officials are expected to reach here on Monday,” he said.

A station official, on condition of anonymity, said activities of drug addicts or drunkards could have caused the blaze.

“Drug addicts and drunkards, who often hang around the place, might have entered the train and thrown cigarette butts inside the train which led to the blaze,” the official said.

Station superintendent Biplab Das refused to comment.

An onlooker said he had seen black smoke emanating from the train.

He added that people were screaming and running helter-skelter.

“It could have been a massacre if the flames had not been extinguished on time,” he said.

NF Railway spokesman Pranav Jyoti Sarma said, “An inquiry has been ordered into the incident to probe the cause of the fire. If negligence at any level is found, sternest action will be taken against those found guilty.”