Viral train noodle-cooking video sparks safety crackdown in India

Viral clip shows safety breach as officials warn passengers against high-power appliances during journeys

Indian Railways has said it will take action after a video circulating online that shows a woman preparing instant noodles and tea in an electric kettle during a train journey.

The clip, filmed by the woman herself and spoken in Marathi – a language widely used in the western Indian state of Maharashtra – shows Maggi, a popular brand of instant noodles, boiling inside the kettle while a cup of tea sits beside it.

The woman tells viewers she has given a “readymade breakfast” to the passenger next to her and adds: “I mean to say that I don't even have a holiday here. My kitchen is still working.” The woman also claims she had already made tea for around 15 people in the same kettle.

The train on which she was travelling has not been identified. The sockets available on Indian trains are usually intended for low-power devices such as phone chargers, rather than cooking appliances.

The footage triggered widespread criticism on social media, with users accusing the woman of endangering the safety of other passengers. Several pointed out that drawing high wattage from cabin sockets could overload circuits or trigger sparks, posing a potential fire hazard.

Central Railways – one of the zones of Indian Railways responsible for operations in Maharashtra and neighbouring regions – said it had opened proceedings in response to the video.

“Action is being initiated against the channel and the person concerned,” the zone wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

It warned that the use of electric kettles onboard is banned because “it can lead to fire incidents and be disastrous for other passengers also. May also cause disruption of electric supply and malfunction of the AC and other electronic ports in the train.”

Officials urged travellers to report similar incidents to onboard staff and to avoid carrying or using appliances that draw more power than the system is designed to handle.