Southbound MRT 3 train on fire last January 27

Raizza T. Dauz | January 30, 2018

Photo from Philstar.com

The operation of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3) was disrupted on Friday afternoon after a fire ensued inside a southbound train, forcing it to stop between GMA-Kamuning and Araneta Center-Cubao stations in Quezon City.

Department of Transportation (DOTr)-MRT 3 media relations officer Aly Narvaez said smoke was reported coming out beneath a passenger seat near the door of one of the coaches of the southbound train around 1:42 p.m.

Former maintenance provider of MRT 3 said such sad incidents could have been avoided

Narvaez, quoting the MRT 3 Control Center said the smoke came “probably from the electronic components under the seats.”

Passengers inside the coach panicked and used the emergency switches to open the doors. Responding security guards evacuated 500 to 600 passengers, who walked on the rail tracks toward Cubao station.

A fire truck responded and doused the portion of the train that caught fire. The train was later brought to the MRT depot for further diagnosis.

The MRT 3 immediately limited its operations from Shaw Boulevard to Taft Avenue stations for both southbound and northbound lanes after the incident. Normal operations resumed around 2:46 p.m.

MRT 3 Director for Operations Michael Capati later went to the depot to inspect the affected coach.

The regulatory board apologized for the incident but Capati said that the MRT Management could not guarantee that there would be no more similar incidents, due to the aging parts of the train.

Reacting to the latest incident, the former maintenance provider of MRT 3 called on the DOTr to stop pointing fingers and take full responsibility for the problems confronting the MRT 3 daily runs.

Transport authorities had vowed to provide a safer and more reliable train service for long-suffering MRT 3 commuters when they terminated Buri’s contract in November last year.

But Pahati said the DOTr had failed to organize a transition team, composed of experienced rail engineers, to ensure the continuing safety and efficient maintenance of the MRT 3.