An oil-transporting train from Nanyuki to Nairobi caused a scare in Kabuta village, Sagana, after catching fire following a mechanical breakdown.
Reports indicate that the train had just delivered oil in Nanyuki and was on its way back to Nairobi before the incident.
The cabin crew escaped unhurt and were able to put out the fire before it spread to other ‘wagons’, in efforts backed up by firefighters from Murang’a station.
According to Kenya Railways, the fire was caused by an electric fault in the train’s engine.
“The fire was caused by a slight electric fault in the locomotive engine and has since been contained. Our engineers arrived at the area promptly and rectified the problem,” Kenya Railways tweeted on Sunday.
Fire erupts in a train headed to Nairobi from Nanyuki at Kabuta village in Kiharu. pic.twitter.com/R1XjiKoROt
— Radio Citizen (@RadioCitizenFM) June 6, 2021
Early this year, the first of two passenger trains from Nanyuki to Nairobi temporarily stalled at Ruthagati in Nyeri County with more than 1,500 passengers on board.
The train developed mechanical problems believed to have been caused by the heavy load and the area’s topography.
However, the onboard crew resolved the mechanical issue, allowing the journey to continue after over five hours of stalling.
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