Massive fire breaks out in Rajdhani Express near Ratlam, probe ordered

The guard of Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express first noticed flames emerging from the compartment and alerted the loco pilot, following which the train was stopped and passengers were evacuated.

In Short

• Fire erupts in Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express
• Train halted and passengers evacuated within 15 minutes
• Railways ordered high-level enquiry to ascertain cause of fire

A massive fire broke out in Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district early on Sunday. The coach, carrying as many as 68 passengers, was evacuated within 15 minutes and there were no casualties, according to the railway officials.

According to railway officials, the blaze was reported around 5.15 am in the B-1 coach of train number 12431, which was travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi.

The incident occurred between Vikramgarh Alot and Lunirichha stations under the Kota railway division, Ratlam division PRO Mukesh Kumar said. The train had departed from Ratlam Junction at around 3.45 am.

Following the incident, the railways has ordered a high-level enquiry to ascertain the cause of the fire, along with a nationwide audit of fire safety systems and related mechanisms in train coaches across the Indian Railways network.

The train guard first noticed flames emerging from the compartment and alerted the loco pilot, following which the train was stopped and emergency evacuation procedures were initiated.

Railway authorities immediately shut down the overhead electric supply and launched firefighting operations. The blaze also spread to the second luggage-cum-guard van (SLR) attached behind the B-1 coach.

“All passengers of the affected coach were safely deboarded. No injury or casualty to any passenger or railway staff. OHE supply was cut immediately. The affected B-1 coach was detached from the rake,” the West Central Railway, Kota Division said in a statement.

After the fire was brought under control, the affected coach and the damaged guard van were detached from the train rake. Officials said the train resumed its journey at around 9.45 am.

Kota railway division PRO Ravindra Lakhara said passengers from the affected coach were accommodated in other compartments for their onward journey till Kota. Railway authorities also planned to attach an additional coach at Kota station to restore the train’s full capacity.

The incident affected train movement on the Delhi-Mumbai rail route, with schedules of at least five to six trains disrupted. Several trains were halted at different stations following the incident, officials said.

Railway authorities also issued helpline numbers for passengers seeking information about train operations.

Ratlam Divisional Railway Manager Ajay Kumar Kalara monitored the situation, while a relief train and tower wagon were sent to the site for rescue and restoration work.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and railway authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Officials are examining the affected coach and related equipment to identify the source of the blaze.

According to news agency PTI, the movement of 8 to 10 passenger trains was affected due to the incident.

This marks the second such incident in two weeks. Earlier, on May 15, a fire broke out in two air-conditioned coaches of the Hyderabad-Jaipur Special Express at Nampally Railway Station on Friday evening.

Railway officials said the fire started in the B1 and B2 coaches of the train’s 3-tier AC compartment shortly before its scheduled departure for Jaipur at 7 pm. No casualties were reported.

- Ends