Two blasts in Bangalore-Guwahati Express at Chennai station, one dead, suspect detained

 

Chennai: One passenger was killed and nine others injured in twin explosions in the Bangalore-Guwahati Express at platform number 9 of the Chennai Central Railway Station on Thursday morning.

The blasts reportedly took place in the sleeper coaches of the train as it was coming to an halt at the station, leaving a 40-year-old woman dead.

Out of the 10 injured two are stated to be critical, Railway authorities confirmed. A suspect found hiding on the train reportedly with explosives has been detained by the police.

Sources say that the NIA has confirmed twin blasts at the Chennai Central railway station and have said that a terror angle cannot be ruled out. "I have told my officers to get information. We are trying to assess the situation," Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said.

The NIA has sent two teams to assist the Tamil Nadu Police in the probe. While one team has been sent from Hyderabad, the other has been sent from Delhi.

"This will create fears in the mind of passengers. Thousands of passengers use the Chennai station every day. The police must take action and ensure that this is not repeated," said Minister of State (Railways) KJ Surya Prakash Reddy.

The blasts took place at the junction of the sleeper coaches S4 and S5 while the train was entering the Chennai Central Railway Station. Those injured have been shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi hospital near the station. Train services in and out of Chennai Central have been affected.

The police and the bomb disposal squads rushed to the spot immediately after the blasts. The Chennai helpline number released by the Railways is 044-25357398.

The police are investigating the matter with the Railway authorities calling it 'low-intensity' explosions. "There were two separate blasts in the train. The entire police force is involved in the investigation," said Southern Railways General Manager Rakesh Mishra.

The family of the woman who died in the blasts has been granted a compensation amount of Rs 1 lakh by the Railways.

Bangalore helpline numbers: 08022356409, 08022156553

Railway control number: 08022876288