Tiruvallur goods train fire: 500 residents evacuated, as thick black smoke engulfs Irular hamlet
With the smoke becoming unbearably suffocating, residents began leaving the colony
Over 500 residents from Irular hamlet in Periyakuppam, Tiruvallur, sitting under a make-shift tent on Sunday morning
TIRUVALLUR: What was supposed to be a calm and relaxing Sunday for the residents of Irular hamlet in Periyakuppam, Tiruvallur, turned out to be a suffocating day as thick smoke engulfed the area early morning.
R Dhanam, a resident, who first saw the fire accident, alerted other residents and promptly informed the railway officials at 5 am on Sunday.
“I am a daily wage earner and wake up every day by 5 am. But today, I woke up early after hearing some bursting sound near the railway track. I witnessed something unusual and was hesitant to go near so I alerted other residents,” recalled Dhanam.
With the smoke becoming unbearably suffocating, residents began leaving the colony. “Villagers decided to evacuate and around 500 residents left their homes. The fire-fighters and district administration arrived by around 6 am t help us,” an eyewitness told DT Next.
R Rajeshwari, a senior citizen, recalled the horror of watching the smoke engulf their homes. “We ran out without switching off the gas cylinder, and we dreaded losing our home in an explosion,” she shuddered. “When the thick black smoke surrounded our homes, the district administration told us to stay in the nearby government school, but we refused. We hope the fire will be doused soon and the situation gets back to normal.”
Food and other essentials were provided to the residents. And bus services were provided to passengers stranded at various destinations. “The situation is under control,” said SM Nasar, Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare.
On Sunday, the usually crowded Tiruvallur railway station was deserted, with passengers often checking the ticket counter for the resumption of EMUs to reach Avadi and Arakkonam.
Roads around the bus terminus witnessed bumper-to-bumper traffic throughout the day, with hundreds of passengers landing up at the Tiruvallur bus terminus. To meet their requirements, 62 additional buses were operated from Tiruvallur to Arakkonam and Tiruttani routes. Also, 51 buses operated from Tiruttani to Arakkonam, Chennai (CMBT), Tiruvallur and Vellore routes.
“The footfall in the terminus increased by 150%. MTC added 60 more services to Avadi and Poonamallee termini. By afternoon, the crowd reduced. A similar condition will prevail till Monday morning,” said P Venkatesan, divisional manager TNSTC-Villupuram.
K Dinesh, a regular commuter, reached the terminus and averred: “All trains to Central station had stopped at Arakkonam. So I reached Tiruvallur terminus through special bus services. And, since there is no straight bus to reach Central station, I was clueless. Also there is no option to book autos and bike taxis to reach the station.”
