Disaster averted as fire engulfs Rajdhani Express coach; 68 passengers rescued

A major tragedy was narrowly averted on Sunday after a massive fire broke out aboard the Thiruvananthapuram–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express near Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, triggering panic among passengers before a swift evacuation by railway personnel rescued all 68 occupants of the affected coach.

The blaze erupted around 5.30am between Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations under the Kota Division of the West Central Railway, roughly 110km from Ratlam.

According to railway officials, the fire originated in the B-1 third AC coach of Train No. 12431, positioned near the SLR luggage brake van towards the front of the Delhi-bound premium train.

Passengers first noticed thick smoke billowing from beneath the coach before flames rapidly intensified, engulfing both the B-1 coach and the adjacent SLR coach in towering flames visible from afar.

Railway officials said an onboard team of the Railway Protection Force and railway staff executed an emergency evacuation protocol in nearly 15 minutes, successfully deboarding all 68 passengers from the affected coach without injuries.

The disaster was prevented after the train guard quickly spotted the fire and immediately alerted the loco pilot, who brought the speeding Rajdhani Express to an emergency halt.

Passengers were shifted to safer coaches as railway personnel battled the blaze and coordinated rescue efforts amid scenes of chaos and panic.

Fire brigade teams, railway police and senior officials — including the Ratlam Divisional Railway Manager — rushed to the spot to supervise firefighting and rescue operations.

As a precautionary measure, authorities disconnected the overhead electric supply before detaching the two gutted coaches from the rest of the train.

“The incident caused no casualties or injuries among passengers or railway staff,” a senior divisional railway manager said, while confirming that rail traffic on the busy New Delhi–Mumbai corridor was severely disrupted.

Several trains, including the Mumbai–Jaipur Superfast Express, were detained at different stations as tracks were cleared and restoration work continued.

Preliminary findings suggest a possible short circuit triggered the blaze, though railway authorities have ordered a detailed investigation to determine the exact cause.

Railways later arranged for an additional coach to be attached at Kota station to accommodate the rescued passengers for the remainder of their journey.

With IANS inputs