Panic after fire breaks out in Kolkata metro, 16 passengers taken ill

At least 16 passengers fell ill and one broke his leg during an escape attempt after a compartment of Kolkata Metro caught fire. The undercarriage of the first compartment of an air-conditioned train was set ablaze in Kolkata Metro during rush hour on Thursday evening. Thick dark smoke filled the coaches around 5 pm when a Dum Dum-bound train was approaching Maidan station after leaving Rabindra Sadan station in south Kolkata. Bright flashes were noticed under the carriage. The motorman stopped the train in the middle of the tunnel and the panicked passengers made a desperate attempt to escape since the smoke made it difficult to breathe and blocked visibility.