New Delhi, 17 May (H.S.): The Ministry of Railways has ordered a high-level investigation into the fire incident that occurred aboard the Thiruvananthapuram–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express. According to the ministry, the inquiry will include a detailed review of the cause of the fire, safety standards, and the effectiveness of the emergency response system.

The incident took place on Sunday morning in the Kota Railway Division of Madhya Pradesh, between Luni Richha and Vikramgarh Alot stations. A sudden fire broke out in the B-1 coach of Rajdhani Express train number 12431. Preliminary reports indicate that the affected coach was located near the SLR (Seating-cum-Luggage Rake) coach.

According to reports, smoke and flames were first noticed emerging from the coach at around 5:15 a.m. Upon receiving the alert, the train was immediately halted and passengers were safely evacuated. Approximately 68 passengers were travelling in the B-1 coach at the time of the incident.

Due to the swift response of railway personnel and onboard train staff, all passengers were evacuated within nearly 15 minutes. No injuries have been reported in the incident. However, the coach was completely damaged in the fire.

Following the incident, rescue and relief teams reached the spot promptly. As a precautionary measure, train operations on the Delhi–Mumbai rail route were temporarily suspended. The affected coach was detached from the train, and the power supply was disconnected.

The Railway Ministry stated that senior officials would conduct a detailed examination of both the technical and operational aspects related to the incident. The Rajdhani Express had departed from Ratlam Junction on Sunday morning, and the fire broke out before the train could reach Kota.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar