Massive Fire Breaks Out in Rajdhani Express near Ratlam, Passengers Evacuated

New Delhi:  A massive fire broke out in Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district early on Sunday. According to railway officials, there were 68 passengers in the coach when the fire was detected.

The incident took place in the B-1 coach as well as an adjoining SLR (Seating cum Luggage Rake) coach of Train No. 12431 at around 5.15 am between Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations under the West Central Railway’s Kota Division. No injuries or casualties have been reported so far.

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

The overhead electric (OHE) supply was immediately disconnected and the affected coach was later detached from the train to prevent the fire from spreading further.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel, along with onboard railway staff and other officials, began de-boarding passengers immediately and the coach was cleared within around 15 minutes. Nearby coaches were also evacuated as a precautionary measure.

“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.

Relief and rescue teams from the Kota Railway Division were dispatched to the spot soon after information about the incident was received.

Senior railway officials, including DRM Anil Kalra, along with police and fire department teams, reached the site to oversee rescue and restoration operations.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Kota Division, Saurabh Jain said railway authorities were arranging additional coaches from Kota, while the remaining part of the train was likely to continue its journey after operational formalities were completed.

The incident also affected rail traffic on the Delhi-Mumbai route, with train movement remaining disrupted for nearly two hours as railway officials carried out rescue operations and safety checks at the site.

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.

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.