A major railway accident was narrowly avoided on Sunday morning after a massive fire broke out in the B-1 AC coach of the Rajdhani Express traveling from Thiruvananthapuram to Hazrat Nizamuddin. The incident occurred between Alot and Vikramgarh railway stations in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district.
According to railway officials, the fire started around 5:15 AM. At the time of the incident, nearly 68 passengers were traveling in the affected coach. After noticing smoke and flames, the train guard immediately alerted the loco pilot, following which the train was stopped.
Entire Coach Evacuated Within 15 Minutes
Railway staff and rescue teams acted quickly and evacuated all passengers from the coach within nearly 15 minutes. Passengers were safely shifted to other compartments.
Considering the risk of the fire spreading further, the affected coach was detached from the train, and the electricity supply was shut down as a precautionary measure.
Railway Relief Team Van Meets with Accident
During the rescue operation, a van belonging to the Railway Carriage and Wagon Department lost control and overturned on the Shamgarh–Suwasra route.
More than five railway employees were reportedly seriously injured in the accident and were referred to Kota for treatment.
Delhi–Mumbai Rail Route Affected
Train operations on the Delhi–Mumbai route were disrupted after the incident. Several trains were halted at different stations while railway accident relief teams and technical experts were rushed to the spot.
Investigation Ordered
The Rail Ministry has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Initial reports suggest that a possible short circuit may have caused the fire, though the exact reason will only be confirmed after the investigation.
A Railway Board technical team is currently examining the electrical and technical aspects related to the accident.
