A massive fire broke out in the parking area of Varanasi’s Cantt Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh early on Saturday, destroying over 200 vehicles. The blaze, which engulfed the parking lot, was reportedly triggered by a short circuit. Emergency response teams quickly mobilized, and the fire was brought under control after a two-hour operation.
Footage from the scene showed towering flames consuming the parking area as fire brigade teams, along with police officials, worked tirelessly to extinguish the blaze. Around 12 fire brigade vehicles, along with personnel from the Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), and local police, were deployed to combat the fire. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.
Cause of the Fire
Initial investigations suggest that the fire was caused by a short circuit. Eyewitnesses reported that the first short circuit occurred at around 10:30 pm on Friday night, prompting electricians to fix the issue. However, a few hours later, another short circuit occurred, which ignited petrol from a motorcycle, sparking the fire.
“Some bicycles were also caught in the flames,” said CO GRP Kunwar Bahadur Singh, confirming that the investigation is ongoing. Many of the vehicles destroyed in the fire belonged to railway employees, adding to the personal impact of the disaster.
One railway worker shared his experience: “I parked my bike around midnight. There was a short circuit reported earlier, which was fixed, but a few hours later, I learned about the massive fire. I quickly moved my bike to safety, but the flames spread rapidly.”
The incident has raised concerns about fire safety at public spaces, especially around critical infrastructure like railway stations. Authorities have vowed to investigate further and implement measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
