VASCO: Fire damaged the current booking office and server room of Vasco railway station on Friday morning. Sources said the fire started around 10.40 am due to a short circuit and was brought under control by 11.10 am. No was injured though property worth Rs 1.5 lakh was gutted.
“Soon after the fire broke out, officials at the current booking office rushed out. As there was smoke emerging from the booking room, people at the railway station started running in panic, however, fire officials quickly doused the fire before it could spread to other areas,” a witness said.
As per railway officials, the switch board supplying power to the modems at the reservation counter, and server got burnt in fire due to which the reservation facilities at the station have been temporarily stopped and will commence only on Saturday afternoon. Officials are issuing tickets manually for those seeking general tickets in trains starting from Vasco.
The fire severely affected railway commuters who were at the station to board the Goa Express leaving Vasco railway station at 3.15 pm. Passengers seeking general tickets were forced to wait in queue for hours.
“We had come to the station around 11.30 am to purchase general tickets and to board the Vasco-Kulem train. Similarly there were others who were standing in queue to purchase general tickets for Goa Express but were shocked to see that the counters were closed and after two hours the officials decided to issue manual tickets which is taking time,” said Deepmala Goti, a railway commuter.
