A fire erupted early on Sunday morning in an air-conditioned coach of the Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express, triggering a prompt emergency response by railway authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district.
According to railway officials, the blaze occurred at approximately 5:15 a.m. in the B-1 coach of train number 12431, which was carrying 68 passengers at the time. Senior railways commercial manager Sourbah Jain confirmed that no casualties were reported despite the incident prompting immediate safety measures.
The event took place between Alot and Lunirichha stations under the Kota division of the railways, Ratlam division PRO Mukesh Kumar told PTI. Officials acted swiftly by detaching the affected coach from the rest of the rake and switching off the overhead electric supply (OHE) to prevent any escalation. The fire was subsequently brought under control.
All passengers were safely deboarded from the train, with Kota railway PRO Ravindera Lakhara assuring PTI that none sustained injuries. Arrangements were made to accommodate the passengers in other coaches so they could continue their journey up to Kota. An additional coach will be attached at Kota station to restore the train’s full capacity.
The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Ratlam reached the site, and an accident relief train also arrived to assist in the operations, Mr. Kumar added. Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
This incident comes amid other recent reports of minor fires on Indian trains, underscoring the importance of rapid response protocols in ensuring passenger safety on long-distance routes. Railway teams demonstrated effective coordination in managing the situation, allowing services to resume with minimal disruption. No further details on the origin of the blaze were immediately available as the probe continues.