Mumbai, May 6: An assistant loco pilot, was killed after the Howrah-Mumbai Express caught fire. The accident was reported close to Dhamangaon Railway Station in Wardha district of Maharashtra.

The engine reportedly caught fire at 4:57 pm. The train driver, DL Brahme, along with his assistant S K Vishwakarma, attempted to douse off the flames after applying the brakes.

While Brahme sustained burn injuries in the process, Vishwakarma, 32, ended up succumbing to the injuries.

"The train stopped between Talni and Dhamangaon after the locomotive caught fire. Vishwakarma and loco-pilot DL Brahme, who had applied emergency brakes to stall the train, tried to douse the fire by using extinguishers provided for the purpose. However, in the process, Vishwakarma lost his life," said S G Rao, assistant commercial manager, Nagpur Railway Division, Central Railway.

An investigation has been ordered by the Central Railway to ascertain the cause of the accident.

The fire could had spelled into a disaster if it had spilled over to the coaches of the train. However, no passenger casualty was reported. After the flames were doused, the train's engine was replaced.

The train left Wardha after nearly a two-hour delay and proceeded towards its final stop at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) in Mumbai.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 06, 2018 10:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).