Bhopal, May 17: A rapid emergency evacuation by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and railway staff successfully rescued all 68 passengers trapped in the B-1 coach of the Rajdhani Express on Sunday. The incident occurred around 5:30 AM between Luni Richa and Vikramgarh Alot stations, approximately 110 kilometers from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh.
The fire broke out in the third AC coach, near the SLR luggage brake van, as the train was en route to Delhi. Thick smoke was initially seen emanating from the lower part of the coach, and within moments, the flames spread rapidly, engulfing both the third AC and the adjacent SLR coach. The flames were visible from a considerable distance.
Thanks to the alertness and swift action of the train guard, a major disaster was averted. Upon noticing the fire, the guard promptly informed the locomotive pilot, leading to an immediate halt of the fast-moving train.
Passengers were temporarily relocated to other coaches while railway police and staff worked diligently to evacuate everyone safely from the burning coach.
Fire department teams and senior railway officials, including the Ratlam division railway manager, arrived at the scene to oversee the rescue and relief operations.
For safety reasons, the overhead electric supply was shut down, and the damaged coaches were detached from the train. According to the senior divisional railway manager, there were no reports of injuries or fatalities among passengers or railway staff, although train operations were severely disrupted.
Multiple trains, including the Mumbai-Jaipur Superfast Express, were halted at various stations along the New Delhi-Mumbai rail line until the tracks were cleared.
Initial reports suggest that a short circuit may have caused the fire. However, senior officials have ordered a detailed investigation to determine the exact cause.
Railway authorities are arranging for an additional coach at Kota station to facilitate the onward journey of the rescued passengers.
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