Hot seat: MRT unloads passengers after fire

MANILA, Philippines — A train of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) unloaded passengers after one of its seats caught fire during the morning rush hour yesterday.

The incident prompted the train’s driver to stop at the Santolan station in Quezon City at around 6 a.m.

Ric Inotorio, director for operations of the MRT-3, said an electrical short circuit could have caused the fire.

“Maybe there was a short circuit in the regulator board that triggered the smoke,” Inotorio told reporters.

A regulator board is a device that supplies power to the traction motor of the railway system. 

 Inotorio said the incident was discovered after one of the commuters repeatedly pressed the emergency button, calling the attention of the train operator.

Cesar Chavez, undersecretary for rails of the Department of Transportation, said the smoke was detected at coach number 66. 

No one was hurt in the incident.

The affected train was sent to the MRT-3 depot in Quezon City for inspection. 

Inotorio said they would conduct an investigation to determine if Busan Universal Rail Inc., maintenance provider of the MRT-3, should be held liable for the incident.