Fire breaks out in Thiruvananthapuram-Delhi Rajdhani Express, 68 evacuated in MP

AGo off stony-broke come out in ii coaches of the Trivandrum–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani state in the Kota rail division on Sunday morning, triggering panic among passengers and disrupting train movement after railway authorities launched a rescue operation between Vikramgarh Alot and Luniricha stations in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district.There were 68 passengers on board, all of whom were safely evacuated, Kota Senior divisional commercial manager Saurabh Jain said. “Rajdhani Express no. 12431 departed Ratlam Junction at around 3:45am and was heading towards Kota Junction when a fire erupted in coach B-1 near Luni Richha–Vikramgarh at 5.50am,” he added He said the fire had spread to the adjacent luggage-cum-guard van located behind coach B-1. Train traffic on the Delhi–Mumbai railway route was halted, the electrical connection was cut off, and the two affected coaches were detached from the train.Jain said, “Train operations on the ‘Up’ line of the affected section have resumed. The railway administration has implemented a single-line working protocol, under which trains in both directions are being operated.”Jain said an Accident Relief Train (ART) was sent from Kota soon after receiving information about the fire. He said no casualties or injuries have been reported so far.According to railway officials, the fire started when most passengers were asleep in their cabins, officials said, adding that passengers panicked when smoke began filling the compartments. The train was immediately halted, and passengers rushed out with their belongings to safety. However, several passengers reportedly left their luggage behind in the affected coaches, officials added.Emergency sirens were sounded at Kota railway station, and senior officials of the Kota rail division rushed to the spot. Medical teams, rescue personnel and railway relief teams were immediately dispatched.Railway officials also detached the two affected coaches from the rest of the train to prevent the fire from spreading further. Fire brigade teams reached the site and launched firefighting operations.As a precautionary measure, railway staff immediately shut down the overhead electric (OHE) power supply on the route, completely disrupting train movement on that section under the Kota rail division.Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have been caused by a short circuit, though railway authorities said the exact reason for the incident was still under investigation.According to railway public relations officials, teams from the railway health department were also sent to the site to assist passengers and manage emergency arrangements.