Saharsa: Two coaches of the Samastipur-Saharsa MEMU train caught fire at Simri Bakhtiyarpur railway station in Bihar's Saharsa district early Monday, prompting the evacuation of passengers. No injuries or casualties were reported, railway officials said.

According to the East Central Railway (ECR), the fire broke out shortly after Train No. 63344 Samastipur-Saharsa MEMU arrived at the station around 3 am.

Speaking to PTI, East Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Saraswati Chandra said, "As 63344 Samastipur-Saharsa MEMU arrived at Simri Bakhtiyarpur station around 3 am, the station master reported a fire in the motor coach of the train."

He added that the flames quickly spread to a second coach.

"The fire soon spread to another coach. As the blaze could not be controlled using fire extinguishers, fire tenders were called in. All passengers were safely deboarded and the overhead equipment (OHE) was switched off. Eventually, the fire was extinguished at 5.50 am. No casualties were reported."

Firefighters brought the blaze under control after nearly three hours, while railway authorities suspended power to the overhead electric lines as a precaution.

Railway officials have ordered an inquiry to determine the cause of the fire. The incident also disrupted train movement on the route for around two hours before services were restored.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.