SEREMBAN: More than 300 Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Ekspres Rakyat passengers were stranded after a fire broke out at the locomotive due to a technical glitch.
The train was heading from Johor Baru to Butterworth when the incident occurred at 2.20pm.
State Fire and Rescue Department chief Norazam Khamis said the engine located at the first car experienced some technical problems before it caught fire.
“The coach caught fire when it was about a kilometer away from the Sungai Gadut station. We received a call at around 2.35pm and rushed to the scene,” he said.
He said a 23-member team from the Seremban, Senawang and Rembau Fire and Rescue Departments were dispatched to the location.
“The operation to control the fire took almost an hour and all passengers were safely evacuated from the train,” he said.
When contacted, KTMB head of communications, Ridwan Arshad said, recovery efforts had been launched by KTMB.
“The train service will resume as usual after we receive the confirmation from the authorities,” he said.