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A massive fire breaks out on Madhya Pradesh's Rajdhani Express as passengers evacuate safely through air vents.

On May 17, 2026, at the start of the journey, when Train No. 12431, the Thiruvananantapuram–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express, was passing through Ratlam station in Madhya Pradesh, a terrible incident occurred in the B-1 air-conditioned coach where fire got to the checking.

The fire broke out in between Vikramgarh Alot and Luni Richha stations around 5:15 AM. The fire soon spread to the next luggage-cum-guard (SLR) coach. The loco pilot was quick on the job, stopping the train in a hurry, turning off the overhead power supply, and leaving the affected coaches behind. 68 passengers in the B-1 coach were quickly deboarded and evacuated in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, there were no passenger casualties or injuries.

The accident had caused disruption in the busy rail network of Mumbai-Delhi and had impacted a number of trains. A relief van headed to the scene flipped over on the way and injured five railway staff commuters. The officials of the railway authorities have directed a detailed investigation at a high level, a short circuit being one of the suspected reasons for the fire. Later an extra coach was added to the train, and it set off once again.

The recent close brush has once again raised issues of train safety against fire in India. While travelling on the train, passengers are encouraged to be alert and notify the train staff of abnormal smoke or sparks as soon as they are detected.