Himachal Forest Fire Halts Kalka-Shimla Train Mid-Journey

The whole country is suffering from the high temperature and it is not stopping here and now the jungles of Himachal Pradesh caught fire. This forest fire became the cause of deaths of animals. And the jungle areas of Solan, Shimla, Mandi and Bilaspur are continuing to burn, whereas the fire department is trying to stop the fire. 

But the fire was spreading and because of this the train coming from Kalka to Shimla had to stop 15 Km before the nearest station. 

A fire broke out in the Tara Devi jungle last evening and reached the railway track by this afternoon, causing the train driver to halt the train just ahead of the Tara Devi railway station. "The train had to be stopped as the fire had reached the railway track. The train was given the go-ahead after about two hours when the fire died out," said an official.

According to the official, most passengers waited for the train to resume after receiving a green signal, while a few arranged taxis to reach Shimla. Fire Department officials reported that the blaze initially started last evening and spread extensively overnight. "We had doused the blaze, but it flared up again. Probably, the fire rekindled in the morning and reached the track," explained Mansa Ram, Station Fire Officer.

Additionally, the district administration evacuated 51 students from the Scouts and Guides Training Centre in Tara Devi last night after the fire spread. These students from Haryana were relocated to Government Senior Secondary School in Shoghi. Shimla DC Anupam Kashyap mentioned that the students were provided with basic facilities and were sent to their destination this afternoon.