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Witnesses reported a metallic grinding for about 3-5 seconds as the train exited the tunnel through the EMP and then a loud explosion. They said smoke then started pouring out from beneath the train. People on board the train started moving to the front of the train and that's when the flames broke out. People tried to get close to the ground and away from the flames. A short time later, monorail officials pulled up the second monorail train so people could evacuate to the red train. But one witness says the wind was blowing the smoke into the red train, so they abandoned that idea. The fire department arrived a short time later and brought the fire under control. They then began evacuating passengers from the red and blue trains via ladder trucks. Traffic along 5th Avenue near Broad Street and along Broad Street between John and 5th Avenue was blocked for the fire response.