May 1, 2014
One killed and 11 injured when two bombs went off in two coaches of the Guwahati-Bangalore Express at, Chennai Central railway station; reports say one suspect held
May 1, 2014
One killed and 11 injured when two bombs went off in two coaches of the Guwahati-Bangalore Express at, Chennai Central railway station; reports say one suspect held
Chennai: A woman passenger was killed and 11 others were injured, two of them grievously, when two bombs went off today in quick succession in two coaches of the Guwahati-Bangalore Express at the Chennai Central railway station, the main railway hub here.
Reports say one suspect held after he was found hiding in the train.
Southern Railway General Manager Rakesh Mishra told reporters that the minor intensity blasts took place at around 7:45 AM in S-4 and S-5 sleeper coaches after the train arrived at the platform number 9.
One woman was killed and two others were injured grievously.
The woman passenger travelling from Bangalore to Vijayawada died. She was identified as 22-year-old Swati, who was slated to go further to Guntur.
Seven persons received minor injuries, Mishra said.
The injured were taken to the government-run Rajiv Gandhi general hospital across the road.
Bomb disposal squad and dog squad have been pressed into action.
Mishra said the police was investigating the nature of the blast and those who could be behind it.
The Railway Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs one lakh to the family of dead woman, Rs 25,000 for grievously injured and Rs 5,000 for those with minor injuries.
Mishra said the grievous injuries of the two persons were not life threatening.
He said the whole train was being searched and it may be allowed to carry on with its onward journey.
Soon after the explosion, security personnel cordoned off the platform number 9 but the movement of other trains from and to Chennai Central has not been affected.
Police have mounted a massive search operation in all the trains following the incident.
Mishra said the train had a brief 10 minute halt at the Central Railway station ahead of its onward journey.
Police said they were probing the cause of explosion and device used for it.
The Railway has started a help line 044-25357398 to render assistance to relatives of passengers.
Passengers rush out of train in panic
A passenger, who was travelling by the S3 coach, narrating his experience, said, "I was awake and resting on my berth. At about 7.15 AM, we heard some sound from the next coach. I came out of the coach and saw what had happened in S4 and S5 coaches".
Most passengers, who were panic-stricken, also rushed out, he said. "We saw three to four injured persons writhing in pain."
"Initially we thought it was the sound of a cylinder explosion. But we later learnt that it was bomb explosion", the passenger said.
Special team to probe explosions: TN Police chief
A Special Investigation Team would probe the twin bomb blasts that rocked the Bangalore-Guwahati Express today, leaving a woman dead and 11 others injured.
Tamil Nadu DGP K Ramanujam said after the Railway Police registers the case into the explosion, the investigation will be taken up by a Special Investigation Team.
"It is not a major blast. It is suspected that Chennai could not have been target of those who were behind the blast because the train was running late. Some other location could have been the target", Ramanujam said.
He said police have no immediate information on who was responsible for the explosion in which 11 people were injured.
"It is premature to say what kind of device was used is the blast. Damage to the train is not heavy," he added.
Courtesy: Agencies
