Alleged Naxal Attack Derails 15 Bogeys Of Goods Train In Jharkhand; No Casualties Reported

15 bogeys of a goods train got derailed in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad area on Tuesday, February 19, due to an explosion that occurred on a section of the railway tracks. No casualties in the incident have been reported yet, however, many other passenger trains had to be cancelled or delayed.

Reports said that Naxals may have been behind the act, as suspected by the local administrations. Ever since the blast, the site has been flooded with authorities, dog squads and forensic experts’ teams, reported Firstpost.

Following trains have been diverted/cancelled/short originated/short terminated due to Goods train derailment in between Khalari-Ray stations of Barkakana-Garhwa Road section of Dhanbad Division-

*Passenger Trains*
(1) 53343 J.C.O. 19.02.19 Short terminated at Barkakana (BRKA)

— East Central Railway (@ECRlyHJP) February 19, 2019

Railways said that the blast took place between Khalari and Ray stations of Dhanbad Division’s Barkakana-Garhwa Road section.

Shortly before this incident, in October 2018, railway tracks in Jharkhand’s Giridih district were allegedly blown up by Maoists, paralysing the train movement for more than five hours.

#NewsAlert – Naxals blow up a train track in Dhanbad. The blast derailed 15 bogeys of a train and affected the schedules. Authorities are surveying the spot. Dog squads and FSL teams have been called in. | @prabhakarjourno with more details pic.twitter.com/fNCnmD3M9n

— News18 (@CNNnews18) February 19, 2019

This incident had occurred between Chaudhary Bandh station and Chengaro halt, which are also under the Dhanbad Rail Division of the ECR, Hajipur zone. Although two night patrol staff members were very close to the site when the blast occurred, no casualties were reported. The blast had damaged around one metre of the track.

Other similar attacks

Reportedly, in 2006, Naxals laid siege for eight hours to a passenger train in Latehar. Similarly, in 2008 in Latehar, the same happened for five hours.

In 2009, railway tracks in Jharkhand’s Simdega district were blown up by naxals, that killed two and injured 38. Again in 2009, during a bandh called by the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA), a Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express was detained for eight hours by Naxals.

In May 2010, three attacks took place. On May 19, a landmine blast was triggered by Naxals on the railway tracks near Jhargram in West Midnapore district. It left two drivers of a goods train injured and the engine damaged. Again on May 20, Naxals blew up railway lines between Dighwara and Pipra stations in Bihar, which are under East Central Railway’s Muzaffarpur-Narkatiyaganj section, derailing 14 oil tankers of a goods train, resulting in a fire. On May 22, a crossfire between Naxals and joint forces at Banstala station in West Midnapore district, left two people travelling in the Tatanagar-bound Steel Express injured, including a policeman.

Also Read: 25 CRPF Personnel Killed In Deadliest Naxal Attack In Years