Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 28 (IANS): The Railways refuted media reports of a gas leak in the coach of Thiruvananthapuram–Kasargod Vande Bharat Express (train number 20634) in the Kalamasseri-Aluva section on Wednesday morning.

In a statement issued here, the Railways said an incident of white mist was reported and the train was stopped, and upon inspection by onboard technical staff of Mechanical and Electrical departments, it was noticed that coach C-5 was filled with white mist and that there were no signs of fire or mechanical/electrical defects.

The train was then taken to Aluva station, and the coach was subjected to further examination.

On thorough inspection, it was found that the aerosol-type fire extinguisher (FE) fitted inside a toilet of the C5 coach had got activated.

The FE is designed to be activated automatically upon detecting excessive heat/smoke. The chemical reaction which takes place once the FE is activated, engulfs the suspected area of fire with a white mist, thereby extinguishing the flames.

"This activation occurs in the presence of smoke or heat inside the lavatory. In this case, it is found that one of the onboard cleaning staff inadvertently pulled the safety catch of the FE, leading to its activation.All the passengers are safe and travelled in the same coach," the statement said.

It added that certain media have reported gas leakage in a coach, which is not correct.

"CCTV footage has been retrieved, and it is found that one of the onboard cleaning staff inadvertently pulled the safety catch of the FE, leading to its activation. The mist from the chemical reaction which took place in the activated FE, spread inside the coach, and gave an impression that the coach is filled with white mist."

The Railways also said that the fire detection and extinguishing mechanisms in these coaches are advanced, and in the event of a real fire, an alert will be sent to the control centre in the driver's cab through the traction control and monitoring system located in the loco.