The Tirunelveli–Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express came to an unscheduled halt near Dindigul railway station on the morning of July 9, 2025, after passengers spotted what they believed to be smoke inside an air-conditioned coach — only to later discover it was harmless mist from an aerosol fire extinguisher.
According to railway officials, the panic began when a curious passenger tampered with the aerosol extinguisher in the coach’s restroom. Mist began to escape from the device, which some passengers mistook for smoke, triggering confusion and alarm.
“The extinguisher, which looks like a flask, was probably opened out of curiosity. When its pin was pulled, mist began to emit,” said an official. The coach’s fire alarm went off, and in response, passengers pulled the emergency stop chain, causing the train to come to a halt between Thamaraipadi and Vadamadurai stations around 8:50 a.m.
Indian Railways has fitted aerosol fire suppression systems in Vande Bharat train restrooms as a safety measure to combat potential fires. These extinguishers are designed to activate automatically in case of excessive heat.
Once the onboard staff investigated and clarified the situation, the mist was cleared, and the train resumed its journey after a 25-minute delay.
The incident, though minor, highlighted the need for passenger awareness on onboard safety equipment to prevent such misunderstandings in the future.