KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — An extra train deployed by the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) to ease the congestion for the Chinese New Year holidays was on fire after its engine this afternoon malfunctioned.
The Ekspress Rakyat train which was believed to have been shuttling over 200 travellers from Johor to Butterworth caught fire near Seremban after a locomotive engine malfunctioned.
According to KTMB corporate communications chief Ridhwan Arshad the incident occurred around 2.30PM, when the train— which ran on a locomotive engine caught fire.
“There was a problem with the train’s locomotive engine. We discovered the incident at 2.30pm, the bomba (firefighters) arrived at 2.50pm and the fire was put out in 15 minutes.
“The problem was with the engine. It is an old model that we had to commission back for to help ease the CNY congestion. The newer ones that we normally use now are fully electric,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted today.
Ridhwan added that the incident which occurred nearby the Sungai Gadut Commuter station was resolved by 4.30pm and no passengers were harmed.
“We are quite fortunate that we detected it and overcame it fast. They were evacuated quickly as the fireman worked. No one was injured and the passengers were in no harm at all,” he said.
