A fire broke out in an air-conditioned coach of the Rajdhani Express early Sunday in India’s Madhya Pradesh state, prompting the evacuation of all passengers. No casualties or injuries were reported, according to PTI.
Railway officials said the blaze erupted around 5:15am local time in the B-1 coach of the Thiruvananthapuram–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express (train no. 12431), which was carrying 68 passengers.
The incident occurred between Alot and Lunirichha stations under the Kota railway division in Ratlam district.
Authorities immediately detached the affected coach and disconnected the overhead electric supply as a precautionary measure. The fire was later brought under control.
Passengers shifted safely
All passengers were safely evacuated and shifted to other coaches to continue their journey to Kota. Railway authorities said an additional coach would be attached at Kota station to restore the train’s capacity.
The divisional railway manager reached the spot along with an accident relief train.
Rail traffic disrupted
According to railway officials, the incident significantly disrupted train movement on the New Delhi–Mumbai route.
Several trains, including the Mumbai–Jaipur Superfast Express, were detained at different stations while railway staff cleared the tracks and carried out safety checks.
Investigation underway
Preliminary reports suggest the fire may have been caused by a short circuit, though officials said a detailed investigation has been ordered to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
Two damaged coaches were detached from the train rake following the incident, according to IANS.