Major fire breaks out aboard Karmabhoomi Express in Punjab
A fire broke out aboard the Amritsar–New Jalpaiguri Karmabhoomi Express near Rajpura in Punjab's Patiala district on Friday, November 6, 2026, prompting the evacuation of passengers. Initial reports said four coaches were affected. No casualties had been reported in the first official updates.
Train identified as 12508
The incident involved train number 12508, travelling from Amritsar towards New Jalpaiguri. The fire was reported near Sarai Banjara, close to Rajpura. Railway and local emergency teams responded to the incident.
Passengers evacuated safely
Passengers were evacuated from the affected coaches as railway personnel, police and fire brigade teams responded. Officials said no deaths or injuries had been reported in initial updates. A medical relief team was also dispatched as a precaution.
Cause of fire under investigation
The exact cause has not been established. Preliminary accounts mentioned a possible origin near the pantry area, but this has not been confirmed. It would be premature to attribute the incident to an electrical fault or any other specific cause.
Railways orders inquiry
Railway authorities ordered an inquiry to establish how the fire started and assess the damage to the affected coaches. Further official updates are awaited.
Railway safety in focus
The incident has renewed attention on fire prevention, onboard alarms, emergency preparedness and passenger evacuation procedures. The safe evacuation helped prevent a potentially serious incident from causing casualties in the initial reports.
Editorial note: This article reflects initial information available on November 6, 2026. The reported number of affected coaches and the cause of the fire may be updated as authorities release further findings. The accompanying image is AI-generated and is not an actual photograph of the incident.
