Overview
- Indian Railways, which said Wednesday that recent blazes were caused by “anti-social elements,” directed the Railway Protection Force to run detailed investigations in each case.
- Investigators reported an attempted burning of bedding near Amarpura, a petrol-soaked cloth found in a Howrah coach bathroom, and flames first seen in a Rajdhani lavatory at Kota.
- In Sasaram, officials now suspect a burning object was thrown into empty coaches with no active power, though early checks had pointed to a short circuit.
- A fire on the Thiruvananthapuram–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani near Ratlam led to a full evacuation of a 68-passenger coach with no injuries and disrupted at least 18 trains.
- Railways urged passengers to stay alert and report suspicious activity to helpline 139, noting that quick staff action in recent cases helped limit damage.