Description
A fire in a Patna train coach prompts urgent safety audits across Indian railways to enhance passenger security.
SASARAM | May 18, 2026 A major disaster was averted early Monday morning at Sasaram Junction in Bihar after a coach of a Patna-bound passenger train suddenly caught fire. The incident occurred on platform number six at around 6:00 AM, just moments before the Sasaram-Patna fast passenger train was scheduled to depart.
Thick, billowing smoke quickly engulfed the platform, triggering a near-stampede situation as waiting passengers fled the area in panic. Railway staff, the Government Railway Police (GRP), and local fire brigades rushed to the spot. Following a tense, coordinated operation, the blaze was successfully brought under control. While one coach was completely gutted by the fire, authorities confirmed that no passengers or railway personnel sustained injuries. Preliminary investigations point toward a suspected short circuit inside the compartment as the cause of the fire.
The Sasaram incident marks the second major railway fire in less than 24 hours, raising serious concerns over passenger safety. Just a day prior on Sunday, an air-conditioned coach of a Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express caught fire near Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district, damaging the coach and an adjacent luggage van. Fortunately, automated safety systems halted the Rajdhani Express, and all passengers were safely evacuated.
In light of these consecutive mishaps, the Ministry of Railways has ordered an immediate nationwide safety audit of fire prevention systems across all train coaches and station infrastructure to prevent future occurrences.
