Rajdhani Express fire: Railway makes arrangements for the rest of the journey; helpline

A disaster was narrowly averted this morning after a fire broke out in the B1 AC coach of the Hazrat Nizamuddin - Trivandrum Rajdhani Express (12431). The incident, which occurred between Alot and Lunirichha stations under the Kota division, happened around 5.15 am. The coach, which had 68 passengers, and no casualties have been reported, said PTI. Currently, the affected coach has been detached from the rake, and the overhead electric supply was promptly switched off. As of now, the reason for the flames is under investigation. The train, which connects Kerala with Delhi and covers around 3,149 km in 45 hours, had many Malayalis as passengers. 

Arrangements for the onward journey
Arrangements have been made to accommodate the 68 passengers of B1 in other coaches for the journey up to Kota, officials said. An additional coach will also be attached at Kota station to restore full capacity. According to ANI, the remaining portion of the train is expected to depart in 45 minutes, and track restoration will also begin after that. The incident has also disrupted train regulation on both sides, and it affects around five to six trains. Passengers can contact either the railway website or the helpline 139 for information. 

Malayali passenger's eyewitness account
Linu, a Kollam native and a soldier in Punjab, was travelling in the B2 coach, adjacent to the B1 coach, where the fire spread. He told Manorama that the fire broke out while the train was in motion, but as soon as the smoke spread, the train came to a halt at a place where both sides have fields. Passengers immediately ran out without waiting to take the bags, which were eventually lost to the fire. The fire force reached the spot by 6 am. The train was supposed to reach Delhi at 12.40 pm. 
(With PTI inputs)