<p>The Thiruvananthapuram-Nizamuddin Express was halted at Kozhikode in Kerala for more than an hour to search for a snake spotted by passengers in one of the compartments of the train, but the reptile was not found.</p>.<p>Railway sources said the passengers informed a TTE about noticing a snake between the luggage underneath a lower berth in the S5 compartment on Wednesday night, soon after the train left nearby Tirur station.</p>.<p>As the news about the reptile spread through the train, it created a panic among the passengers, sources said.</p>.<p>As soon as the communication reached the railway authorities in Kozhikode railway station, they arranged for experts from the Forest department to trace the snake.</p>.<p>All passengers in the compartment where the snake was seen alighted after the train reached Kozhikode around 10:15 pm and a thorough search was conducted by two snake catchers, arranged by Forest officials.</p>.<p>However, the reptile could not be caught, railway sources said.</p>.<p>Quoting the snake catchers, railway sources said the reptile, as seen in a photo taken by a passenger, was just a rat snake and might have escaped or hidden in a hole found alongside the compartment.</p>.<p>The train resumed its journey after the hole was sealed by midnight, the sources said.</p>
<p>The Thiruvananthapuram-Nizamuddin Express was halted at Kozhikode in Kerala for more than an hour to search for a snake spotted by passengers in one of the compartments of the train, but the reptile was not found.</p>.<p>Railway sources said the passengers informed a TTE about noticing a snake between the luggage underneath a lower berth in the S5 compartment on Wednesday night, soon after the train left nearby Tirur station.</p>.<p>As the news about the reptile spread through the train, it created a panic among the passengers, sources said.</p>.<p>As soon as the communication reached the railway authorities in Kozhikode railway station, they arranged for experts from the Forest department to trace the snake.</p>.<p>All passengers in the compartment where the snake was seen alighted after the train reached Kozhikode around 10:15 pm and a thorough search was conducted by two snake catchers, arranged by Forest officials.</p>.<p>However, the reptile could not be caught, railway sources said.</p>.<p>Quoting the snake catchers, railway sources said the reptile, as seen in a photo taken by a passenger, was just a rat snake and might have escaped or hidden in a hole found alongside the compartment.</p>.<p>The train resumed its journey after the hole was sealed by midnight, the sources said.</p>