A video clip of a person conducting religious activities in front of a burning wick in the inside of an air-conditioned coach of a moving train has created tension over the safety of passengers and fire hazard.
The video is widely circulated online showing the man sitting on the upper berth of an AC coach lighting an oil lamp (diya), incense sticks (agarbatti) and praying. A fellow traveller sprang into action and told him of the risk of carrying an open flame (in the form diya) in an enclosed railway coach, and that it was starting to show smoke.
Jharkhand Rail Users (@JharkhandRail) highlighted the incident on X, noting that smoke from incense sticks might trigger a smoke alarm using the train’s security system, and a lit flame inside an accelerating train would present an extreme fire hazard.
According to railway experts, incense sticks or similar fire sources can be a cause of fire alarms and emergency stop systems in AC coaches, where there are automated smoke detectors. The synthetic bedding, curtains and upholstery in AC coaches are also highly flammable, making an open flame a big safety issue.
There was public outrage, so the Railway Seva, the official grievance redressal mechanism of the Ministry of Railways, responded, requesting details, including the number, date of travel, PNR, etc., to look into the issue. The department also urged passengers to lodge complaints on the RailMadad website for immediate action in cases of such incidents.
The incident has once again brought to the fore the issue of being conscious as a passenger and the need to adhere to robust railway safety regulations to avoid platform accidents and keep all those visiting the platform safe.