Dhanbad: The parcel van of a passenger train, plying between Howrah and Sri Ganganagar, caught fire 30km from here on Monday evening, but an alert driver ensured that no one was injured.

Two fire tenders took two hours to douse the detached and burning coach of Udyan Abha Toofan Express (13307) near Thaparnagar railway station.

A railway source said driver Bidyut Mandal detected the fire in the parcel van behind the engine around 4.10pm and immediately stopped the train.

"The affected coach was first separated from other coaches and then from the engine. No passenger was injured. Fire tenders of Maithon Power and CISF were used," the source said.

Officials of Asansol division of Eastern Railway, led by senior divisional safety officer H. Pal, rushed to the site and supervised rescue.

Asansol division PRO Rupayan Mitra said the fire was controlled by 6pm. "The unaffected coaches were taken back to Mugma from where they proceeded to their common destination after obtaining line clearance," he said.

Mitra added that they were not aware of the exact cause of the fire, but an inquiry had been ordered.

Notably, the up train that normally runs between Howrah in Bengal and Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan through Mokama in Bihar is running on a diverted route through Dhanbad from February 16 to 19 owing to interlocking work being carried out at Mokama.