A panel that broke off of an Orange Line train headed to State Street Station on Tuesday caused a smokey situation in which some passengers were forced to evacuate through windows.
According to a statement released by the MBTA on Wednesday, a body panel fell off of an Orange Line car just after 8:30 p.m. The train ran over the panel, causing the train to become disabled as it entered State Street Station.
"It is believed the body panel struck a wall and then the third rail, causing an arcing event, which led to a residual smoke situation," the MBTA said in the statement.
Meanwhile, a second train approximately six minutes behind the first one was traveling to State Street Station. It also struck the piece of body panel that was still on the tracks. The train became disabled and was not properly secured at the station when passengers began seeing the smoke.
The MBTA said several emergency alarms were pulled by passengers onboard who became concerned. Because the train was not properly secured, the doors were automatically in the lock position, causing some passengers to leave the train through doors at the end of the train cars and by kicking out windows and crawling out of the train.
There were no reports of injuries.
Firefighters cleared the scene just before 10 p.m. No injuries were reported.
State Street closed and reopened just before 11 p.m.
Workers inspected all orange line trains overnight, and replaced panels on 13 of the trains. Replacing the panels was a precaution, no problems were found.
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