Sparks from Ranthambore Express coach trigger panic in Ratlam, no injuries
Ratlam, June 18
Panic gripped passengers on the Indore-Bhagat Ki Kothi Ranthambore Express on Thursday after sparks and smoke were seen emanating from the wheels of a general coach near Luni-Richa station in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district. No injuries or casualties were reported.
The incident occurred around 9:45 a.m. on Thursday when Ranthambore Express (12465) from Indore to Jodhpur was passing through Luni-Richa station.
Railway officials said the loco pilot applied emergency brakes, after which smoke started billowing from beneath a general coach at the rear of the train.
As the train halted, passengers scrambled out of the coach with their luggage and moved onto the adjacent tracks.
Videos surfaced on social media from the spot showed a large number of passengers standing between the tracks after someone raised an alarm about a fire. Another train was stationed on the parallel line at the time.
Railway officials said the Ranthambore Express has no scheduled stop at Luni-Richa station. A technical team of the Railways reached the site upon receiving information. The train was inspected and allowed to proceed after a halt of about 20 minutes.
Officials said there was no loss of life or property. "The exact cause of the smoke is under investigation. Preliminary inputs suggest it may have been caused by the emergency brake application. The actual reason will be confirmed after a detailed inquiry," a railway official said.
Further details on this incident are awaited.
The Ranthambore Express departs Indore at 6 a.m. and reaches Jodhpur around 11:00 p.m. Notably, earlier on May 17, a fire had broken out in the AC coach B-1 of the Rajdhani Express (12431) between Luni-Richa and Vikramgarh stations in Ratlam district. All passengers were evacuated safely, and the affected coaches were detached.
— IANS
Reader Comments
That must have been terrifying for everyone on board. I've traveled on the Ranthambore Express a few times, and it's usually a decent service. But seeing passengers scrambling onto the tracks with another train on the adjacent line is really alarming. Glad the loco pilot acted quickly.
Another day, another railway scare. It's become a common story unfortunately. The emergency brake causing smoke? That's a convenient explanation. We need a thorough investigation and immediate action. Passengers' lives are at stake every time we board a train. 🙏 #RailwaySafety
Respect to the railway staff for managing the situation and getting the train moving in 20 minutes. But why is this happening so often? The government talks about modernization but we still have these issues. At least no one was injured this time. Let's hope the inquiry gives real answers.
It's incredible that despite all the technological advances, we still see incidents like this. The passengers jumping onto tracks is a huge safety risk in itself—especially with another train nearby. Railways need to improve emergency communication and ensure passengers know what to do. Thankful nobody was hurt.
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