(The Philadelphia Inquirer posted the following article on its website on August 17.)
PHILADELPHIA — A chain left under a train car during maintenance triggered the smoky fire that halted rush-hour service on the PATCO High-Speed Line Wednesday night and sent nearly 30 people to hospitals, officials said yesterday.
Of those treated for smoke and heat, only a Camden Fire Department officer remained hospitalized yesterday, PATCO said.
The fire erupted about 5 p.m. in an eastbound train in a tunnel under Fifth and Market Streets in Camden. A portion of a restraining chain that had been left under one car after weekend maintenance touched the third-rail power source, causing an electrical arc that created flames and smoke, the commuter railroad said. Service was halted for more than 21/2 hours.
An inspection of all trains and track yesterday morning found no other chains that could cause a similar problem, PATCO said in a statement. Railroad officials are investigating how the chain was left under the train car.