The Siliguri-bound DEMU (diesel electric multiple unit) from Malda Court came to a screeching halt near Kishanganj railway station on Sunday afternoon as smoke started emanating from the loco.

As the loco pilot of train 07519, which runs between Malda Court and Siliguri Junction, noticed the smoke he applied emergency brakes and the train stopped at Faringola, a locality in the neighbouring state of Bihar.

The incident led to panic. Many passengers deboarded the train, as the on-duty railway staff who were posted nearby rushed to the spot along with personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) who have a camp in the area.

According to sources in Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), at around 12.17pm, when the train had moved a couple of kilometres from Kishanganj station near Siliguri, smoke started emanating from the front loco of the district magistrate.

“It was found that smoke was coming out of the DPS (differential pressure sensor) of the front part of the DEMU after its fan got burnt. The train was immediately stopped,” said K K Sharma, the chief public relations officer (CPRO) of NFR.

Initially, they panicked with the perception that a fire has occurred in the engine. “However, as the railway staff and the SSB personnel reached there and checked it, they found that it was only smoke and no flame was seen,” said a source.

As the train came to a halt, hundreds of curious onlookers reached the site. Also, many passengers stood beside the track, watching the repair and maintenance works.

“The train stopped suddenly. As I peeped through the door, I saw smoke coming out of the loco. I immediately got down like many others with the idea that there has been a fire,” said Sujoy Dutta, who had taken the train from Malda Court.

The CPRO said that the railway staff carried out necessary repairs on the spot.

After around one-and-a-half-hours, the train left for Siliguri.

“There was no major damage or any incident of casualty or injury because of the incident,” he added.

As the train halted on the Up track (which heads toward Siliguri from Malda), some long-distance trains were regulated at different stations.

“Eventually, train movement became normal within a couple of hours. The Demu will be examined at Siliguri Junction and an inquiry done,” said a railway official.