Sixty-eight passengers escape unhurt from burning premium train
Sixty-eight passengers safely escaped a burning air-conditioned coach of the Thiruvananthapuram–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express early Sunday morning in Madhya Pradesh. The blaze erupted around 5:15 AM inside the B-1 compartment of train number 12431 while it was traveling between the Vikramgarh Alot and Lunirichha stations. Recognizing the immediate danger, the train guard promptly alerted the locomotive pilot after spotting smoke, facilitating a swift halt and emergency evacuation.
Responding to the crisis, officials under the West Central Railway immediately disconnected the overhead electric lines to curb further dangers. Teams detached the compromised B-1 coach alongside an adjacent seating-cum-luggage rake from the rest of the train. Emergency responders, including the Railway Protection Force, emptied the burning compartments within fifteen minutes.
Historically, the trunk routes crossing western Madhya Pradesh serve as vital railway arteries connecting southern and western India to the national capital, making any operational disruption highly critical. This specific incident halted traffic on the busy Delhi-Mumbai broad-gauge line for nearly two hours.
Emergency Relief Mobilization
Mukesh Kumar, the Public Relations Officer for the Ratlam division, confirmed that an accident relief train reached the site quickly to handle containment operations. Stranded passengers moved to alternative coaches to reach Kota, where officials plan to attach a replacement compartment to restore normal transit capacity.
Technical Investigation Initiated
Mechanical experts have launched an inquiry to pinpoint the exact technical failure or electrical malfunction that sparked the flames. No injuries were reported among passengers or onboard staff.
