Perfume sets off fire alarm, stops high-speed train

A fire alarm on a high-speed bullet train was set off Tuesday by a female passenger spraying perfume in the train's bathroom, Zhengzhou evening news reported.

The G6602 high-speed train departed from Zhengzhou East Station around 7:30 am and came to a sudden halt before it reached the next station.

A technician onboard spotted an activated smoke detector in a restroom that triggered the emergency brake from his monitoring screen.

He traced it to the suspected carriage where he found a woman was spraying perfume with a high fragrance concentration, clouding the room with a strong smell.

The smell and fumes were quickly dispersed and no fire or malfunctions were found in the restroom.

"The incident delayed the train for three minutes," said an official for the Zhengzhou railway bureau. "During the peak time, train intervals are a narrow five minutes, so an abnormal stop like this would create a massive delay."

The city's railway administration suggested train riders avoid using perfume, sunscreen spray or insect repellents during the summer heat. Smoking is strictly prohibited.