Alert driver of Mettupalayam-Coimbatore passenger today averted what could have been a major mishap, when he stopped and doused fire near the radiator of diesel engine.

The driver, noticed a fire near the radiator, after the train left Mettupalayam 1.05 pm and covered two kms. He immediately stopped the train and with fire extinguisher put off the fire, which if had gone unnoticed could have spread to the engine and also other compartments, police said.

The train was then slowly taken to Karamadai railway station, even as there were
nearly 500 passengers in the train, they said.

A spare engine from here was summoned to resume the service, with the passengers, half of whom had already alighted and left, around 3.10 pm