Massive Fire Breaks Out In Rajdhani Express Near Ratlam, Passengers Evacuated
Massive Fire Breaks Out In Rajdhani Express Near Ratlam, Passengers Evacuated
A major fire broke out in the Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express near Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh early Sunday morning, triggering panic among passengers. Railway officials confirmed that all passengers were safely evacuated and no injuries or casualties were reported.
The incident occurred around 5:15 am in the B-1 coach and an adjoining SLR (Seating cum Luggage Rake) coach of Train No. 12431 between Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations under the Kota Division of West Central Railway. Around 68 passengers were present in the affected coach when the fire was detected.
“The Burning Train” in #MadhyaPradesh
— Ravish Pal Singh (@ReporterRavish) May 17, 2026
Panic onboard as fire breaks out in Coach B1 of the Hazrat Nizamuddin–Trivandrum Rajdhani Express between Alot and Luni Richha stations in Ratlam district.
68 passengers were inside the coach when flames spread within seconds. Quick action… pic.twitter.com/zYT0N527AB
According to railway officials, the train guard first noticed smoke and flames emerging from the compartment and immediately alerted the loco pilot. The train was then halted and emergency evacuation procedures were launched without delay.
Railway staff, along with Railway Protection Force personnel, deboarded passengers from the affected and nearby coaches within nearly 15 minutes. As a precaution, the overhead electric supply was disconnected and the damaged B-1 coach was detached from the train to stop the fire from spreading further.
In an official statement, West Central Railway’s Kota Division said all passengers and railway staff were safe and rescue operations were carried out promptly.
Relief and rescue teams from the Kota Railway Division, along with senior railway officials, police personnel and fire brigade teams, rushed to the spot to supervise restoration work and safety checks.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Saurabh Jain said additional coaches were being arranged from Kota and the remaining portion of the train was expected to resume its journey after operational clearances.
The incident disrupted train movement on the busy Delhi-Mumbai rail route for nearly two hours while rescue operations and inspections were carried out.
Railway authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. Officials are examining the affected coaches and electrical equipment for possible clues.
This is the second such railway fire incident reported within two weeks. Earlier on May 15, a fire had broken out in two AC coaches of the Hyderabad-Jaipur Special Express at Nampally Railway Station, though no casualties were reported in that incident either.
