DINDIGUL: Panic gripped passengers of Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express on Wednesday after smoke emanated from one of the coaches near Tharmaripadi in Dindigul.
The train came to an abrupt halt between Tamaripadi and Vadamadurai at around 8:49 am after the fire detection system in C14 coach was automatically triggered.
Later in the day, the Madurai Division of Southern Railway clarified that there was no fire, and that automatic fire safety mechanism had got activated.
A Carriage and Wagon Engineer from Tirunelveli, who was on board, inspected the coach and found that the aerosol fire suppression unit inside the lavatory of C14 had been accidentally discharged. As a result, smoke-like powder filled the coach, prompting immediate safety action.
“All doors were opened to let the smoke out, and the Fire Detection System was reset. The train resumed its journey at 9:16 am after a delay of about 30 minutes,” said a Southern Railway official.
Railway officials assured passengers that the situation was handled swiftly by the escort staff. The official added, “All coaches in train are equipped with advanced fire detection and fighting systems, including manual and aerosol-type extinguishers.”