In an unexpected turn of events, the Vande Bharat Express, en route from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, faced a temporary setback as white mist-like smoke entered one of its coaches. The incident, caused by the inadvertent activation of the fire safety mechanism in a lavatory, led to a delay of approximately 20 minutes.
The source of the smoke was traced back to the inbuilt fire extinguisher within the lavatory. CCTV footage revealed that an onboard cleaning staff accidentally pulled the safety catch of the fire extinguisher, prompting its activation. Fortunately, thorough inspections indicated no signs of fire or any mechanical/electrical defects.
The incident took place in the C-5 coach during the Kalamassery–Aluva section of the journey at 8:55 am. Following the halt, the onboard technical staff examined the coach, confirming the presence of white mist without any indications of fire or malfunctions. The aerosol-type fire extinguisher inside the toilet was identified as the component that had been inadvertently activated.
Contrary to some media reports, there was no gas leakage within the coach. The train made a brief stop at Aluva for approximately 20 minutes, during which the issue was promptly addressed, and the journey resumed around 9:24 am.
Fortunately, no passengers experienced any health issues due to the smoke. Visuals of the incident displayed white smoke in one of the passenger cabins, with passengers safely evacuated as a precautionary measure.
