Punjab rail track blast: Suspect killed in attempted detonation on Patiala freight corridor

A blast on a dedicated freight corridor railway track near the Shambhu area in Punjab’s Patiala, initially believed to be low-intensity, has now been identified as an attempted detonation.

Suspect killed, body found at site

Speaking to reporters, Patiala SSP Varun Sharma said on Tuesday (April 28) that the person who was trying to carry out the detonation on Monday has died. The blast took place near the Shambhu-Ambala rail track.

Earlier, police had said that an unidentified body had been recovered from the spot, adding that it had been blown into pieces.

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Elaborating further, police said that parts of the body were found strewn on the stretch of the rail track. During the investigation, it has been revealed that the blast was an attempted detonation, police said, adding that the explosion occurred near Bothonia village at around 10 pm at the rail track dedicated for freight trains.

Track damaged in blast

The blast damaged the track, leaving a small crater underneath the railway line. Meanwhile, a Government Railway Police official said repair work on the railway track has been undertaken, and rail traffic has been restored.

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"Late night, we had received information about a low-intensity explosion at a railway track near the Shambhu-Haryana border. Immediately, I, along with the deputy inspector general of police and other senior officials, rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

"We found that it was not a low-intensity explosion but an attempted detonation," the SSP said.

SIM card recovered

During the attempt, the person who was trying to carry out the detonation died, and his body has been recovered, he said.

Police said they have recovered a SIM card from the spot.

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"After getting whatever scientific evidence, including a SIM card from the spot, police have launched a technical investigation," Sharma said. "We expect that we will soon unravel the whole conspiracy," he said.

He further said the Government Railway Police, the Railway Protection Force and other agencies are involved in the investigation.

Following the blast, a forensic team, a bomb disposal squad and other agencies had reached the spot.

Second incident in three months

It marks the second such incident in the past three months.

Earlier in January, a blast on a dedicated freight corridor railway track in the Fatehgarh Sahib district's Sirhind had damaged the engine of a train and left a loco pilot injured.

(With agency inputs)