Kolkata, Dec 27 (IANS): Panic gripped commuters as an air-conditioned rake of a metro train in Kolkata caught fire on Thursday evening, however no casualties were reported, police said.

Thick smoke was seen coming out of the second compartment of a Dumdum-bound metro rake between Maidan and Rabindra Sadan metro station around 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Many passengers, who were evacuated from the train, complained that they were stranded for more than half-an-hour after the fire incident.

They claimed some of the passengers fell ill due to the smoke and alleged that the rescue operation was delayed.

The Kolkata metro authority confirmed the fire, but urged people not to panic as the fire has been successfully put out.

"There has been an incident of fire between Rabindra Sadan and Maidan metro. The fire has been put out by our staff. West Bengal fire service and the disaster management team of Kolkata Police are at the spot. Passengers have been evacuated. Please do not panic," a release issued by the metro authority said.