Passenger Train Catches Fire In Bihar, Short Circuit Likely Cause

A passenger train bound for Patna caught fire at Bihar's Sasaram railway station. Visuals showed thick smoke emerging from a train coach as personnel battled to control the blaze.

Initial inquiry suggests that the fire was caused by a suspected short circuit. The Sasaram-Patna fast passenger train's coach caught fire while it was at the Sasaram railway station's platform six shortly before it was scheduled to depart around 6 am.

The blaze caused panic among the passengers on the platform, though no casualties were reported.

Rohtas, Bihar: A fire broke out in the Sasaram-Patna passenger train at around 6AM due to a suspected short circuit Sasaram Junction. pic.twitter.com/HKaLPIIyzM

— IANS (@ians_india) May 18, 2026

The Railway Police administration arrived at the scene and, with the assistance of the fire brigade team, brought the fire under control. One coach of the train was completely destroyed.

Procedures are currently underway to detach the damaged coach, adjust the schedule, and dispatch the train following a thorough inspection.

The incident comes a day after a massive fire broke out in one of the air-conditioned coaches of a Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam on Sunday.

The incident occurred between Vikramgarh Alot and Luni Richha stations. The fire also damaged the second luggage-cum-guard van (SLR) attached behind the B-1 coach. All the passengers were safely rescued from the train.

Officials stated that the built-in safety systems of the coach functioned promptly, leading to the automatic halt of the train soon after the incident occurred.

A video showed thick, dense plumes of black smoke billowing high into the air from the detached rake. The fire also spread to some trees near the railway tracks.

Following the fire, railway authorities also launched a nationwide audit of fire-related systems installed in coaches and associated railway infrastructure to assess safety preparedness and prevent similar incidents in the future.