In a suspected terror strike, a 24-year-old-woman was killed and 14 injured when two bombs exploded inside the Bangalore-Guwahati Superfast Express, soon after it arrived at the Chennai Central station on Thursday.
The Tamil Nadu Police have nabbed a suspect who was found hiding in one of the blast-hit coaches. Another person has been detained at Netana in Kadaba police station limits in Puttur, Dakshina Kannada district on Thursday night. The person had booked the ticket in the same train in some other name.
Railway officials confirmed that Swathi, a native of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, was killed in the blasts and two seriously injured. They are being treated at the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital.
“The explosions took place in coaches S4 and S5 about 10 minutes after the train arrived on platform number 9 from Bangalore,” Inspector General of Police (Railways) Seema Agarwal told Deccan Herald.
She said the train, which was scheduled to arrive at 5:30 am, was delayed by more than 90 minutes. “It arrived at 7:05 am and the blasts took place at 7:15 am,” she added.
“A case has been registered and it has been transferred to the CB-CID for investigation,” Agarwal added. Southern Railway General Manager Rakesh Mishra said though the CB-CID is probing the case, a departmental inquiry has also been initiated.
K Susmitha, an eye-witness, who was about to board the ill-fated train for Kolkata, said: “I heard a loud noise from a compartment. After that a thick smoke was coming out of the windows. Several passengers jumped out of the coaches.”
P Murali, who was en route to his hometown Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, after facing an interview in Bangalore, said: “I was sleeping. Suddenly I heard a blast and felt immense pain in my leg. It was bleeding and I could not get out of the compartment. I don’t remember who brought me to the hospital.” The blasts took place a day after the “Q” Branch of the Tamil Nadu Police, dealing with cases of terrorism and extremism, nabbed a Sri Lankan Tamil, Sakir Hussain (37), for his suspected role as an ISI operative based in Colombo.
Hospital sources said the condition of all injured passengers were stable. “Surgery was performed on one passenger who was seriously injured near the neck. We are providing the best treatment and their condition is stable,” doctors said.
After the damaged coaches were detached for detailed forensic analysis, the train continued on its onward journey.
Director-General of Police K Ramanujam said that the investigation team is probing all angles. “We are not taking this lightly. A thorough investigation will be conducted,” he said.
Forensic experts were analysing the remnants collected from the spot to ascertain the nature of the explosives, though the police, quoting preliminary inquiry, suspect that the blasts might have been triggered by a timer device.
“Initial investigation revealed that the material used in the bomb is ammonium nitrate, nitro toluene and sulphur. Timer device might have been used to trigger the blasts,” a senior police officer said.
Investigative agencies have sought CCTV footage of the six surveillance cameras on platform number 3 of Bangalore City Railway Station.