A massive fire broke out in an air-conditioned coach of a Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh this morning, though all passengers were safely rescued and no injuries were reported.
The blaze started around 5:15am in the B-1 coach carrying 68 passengers between Vikramgarh Alot and Luni Richha stations, railway officials said.
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The affected coach was immediately detached from the train rake, while the overhead electric supply (OHE) was switched off as a precaution. The fire also damaged the second luggage-cum-guard van (SLR) attached behind the coach. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Visuals showed thick black smoke rising from the detached coach, and flames also spread to nearby trees along the railway track.
All passengers were evacuated safely and shifted to other coaches to continue their journey up to Kota in Rajasthan.
West Central Railway chief public relations officer, Harshit Shrivastava said the train resumed its journey around 9:45am after removing the affected coaches. An additional coach will be attached at Kota to restore full capacity.
Train number 12431 Rajdhani Express had left Thiruvananthapuram on Friday and was scheduled to reach Hazrat Nizamuddin station in Delhi at 12:30pm today. It had covered around 2,500 kilometres and was about 650 kilometres from Delhi when the fire broke out.
The incident disrupted rail traffic, affecting at least 18 trains, several of which were delayed or halted at stations.
With inputs from NDTV