Thick black smoke billowed from the burning coach of the Thiruvananthapuram–Delhi Rajdhani Express as railway officials detached the affected compartment to prevent the blaze from spreading further.
BY PC Bureau
MAY 17, 2026: Panic and chaos unfolded aboard the Delhi-bound 12431 Rajdhani Express early Sunday morning after a massive fire broke out in one of its air-conditioned coaches while the train was passing through Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district. Terrified passengers rushed out of the smoke-filled compartment as railway staff and emergency teams scrambled to prevent the blaze from spreading to the rest of the train.
Despite the intensity of the fire, railway officials confirmed that all passengers were evacuated safely and no injuries or casualties were reported.
According to officials, the incident took place around 5:15 am between Vikramgarh Alot and Luni Richha railway stations. The fire erupted in the B-1 AC coach, which was carrying 68 passengers at the time. Initial reports suggest passengers noticed smoke and flames emerging from the coach shortly before emergency protocols were activated.
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Railway authorities immediately halted the train and detached the affected coach from the rest of the rake to stop the fire from spreading further. As an added safety measure, the overhead electric supply (OHE) on the route was temporarily switched off.
Videos from the scene showed dramatic visuals of thick black smoke billowing high into the sky from the charred coach as flames engulfed large sections of the compartment. The intensity of the blaze also caused nearby bushes and trees along the railway tracks to catch fire briefly before railway and local firefighting teams managed to contain the situation.
Passengers onboard described moments of panic as people hurriedly gathered their belongings and moved to safer coaches in the early morning darkness. However, officials said the evacuation was carried out in a coordinated manner, preventing any stampede-like situation.
“The affected coach was isolated immediately and all passengers were shifted safely. There has been no report of injury,” a railway official said.
The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and railway authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Technical experts are expected to examine whether the blaze was triggered by an electrical fault, short circuit, or any other mechanical issue inside the coach.
Fire reported in B1 coach of Thiruvananthapuram – Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express.
Some luggage in the Luggage Van and B1 coach gutted.
Luckily an early riser on B1 noticed the smoke and alerted all co-passengers. #RajdhaniExpress #indian #IndiaNews #kerala #railway pic.twitter.com/SkDMVYPulV
— Jacob Mathew (@Jacobmathewlive) May 17, 2026
Following the incident, passengers from the damaged B-1 coach were accommodated in other compartments for the onward journey up to Kota in Rajasthan. Officials said an additional coach would be attached at Kota station to restore the train’s full carrying capacity and minimise inconvenience to passengers.
The 12431 Rajdhani Express had departed from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on Friday and was scheduled to arrive at Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station at around 12:30 pm on Sunday. By the time the fire broke out, the train had already covered nearly 2,500 kilometres of its journey and was roughly 650 kilometres away from the national capital.
“The Burning Train” in #MadhyaPradesh
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
— Ravish Pal Singh (@ReporterRavish) May 17, 2026
The incident has once again raised concerns over fire safety measures in Indian trains, especially in long-distance premium services carrying hundreds of passengers daily.
Notably, this is the second train fire incident reported within two days. On Friday, a fire broke out in an empty coach of the Hyderabad–Jaipur Special Train at Hyderabad railway station while it was being moved to the platform ahead of departure.
In that case too, railway authorities acted swiftly by detaching the affected coaches and containing the blaze before it could spread further. Since the coach was empty, no injuries were reported.
The back-to-back incidents are likely to intensify scrutiny over maintenance standards and fire prevention mechanisms across the railway network, particularly during the peak summer season when electrical systems and air-conditioning units operate under increased stress.
