Shajapur /Bhopal: At least nine people were injured, two of them seriously, in a blast in Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train near Jabdi station in the district on Tuesday, a railway official said. The blast is suspected to be caused by an IED hidden in an unclaimed suitcase in a general compartment. The police have arrested three persons from Piparia town of Hoshangabad district in connection with the incident.
IG, law and order, Makrand Deouskar claimed that FSL team that inspected the scene detected traces of IED explosives in the compartment. Home minister Bhupendra Singh Thakur said that traces of gun powder were detected during primary investigation. “We cannot rule out involvement of terrorists in the blast,” he said.
“The intensity of the blast was quite severe as the ceiling of the coach has been completely damaged. So far we have not found any explosive device or its remains from the spot,” Superintendent of police, GRP Indore, Krishnaveni Desavatu said. In fact, the blast not only made a hole in the side of the compartment but also led to derailment.
“A suitcase was found in the coach and the bomb disposal squad is examining it,” Desavatu said. The blast occurred in a general coach of the train between 9.30 AM and 10 AM when it was on its way to Ujjain from Bhopal, Railway PRO, Indore, Jitendra Kumar Jayant said.
A bomb disposal squad that reached the accident site, around 81 km from Bhopal, was trying to ascertain the cause and the nature of the blast. The glass panes of the windows in the general coach were shattered in the blast, which occurred when the train was about to reach Jabdi station. The Jabdi station falls between Kalapipal and Sehore railway stations. Following the blast, the train came to a halt. Smoke engulfed the general coach, causing panic among the passengers who rushed out to save themselves. A relief train has been rushed to the mishap site, the PRO said. The Railways have made available helpline numbers for those seeking information about their relatives in the train. The PRO said that two coaches were damaged in the blast. They were separated from the train which later left for its onward journey. Sources claimed that the sound of the blast was heard a few kilometres away. Locals rushed to the spot to save passengers. As the train was already in motion when the blast occurred, panic struck passengers jumped out of the moving train resulting in injuries. DIG, Railway said that the injured were admitted to Kalapipal Civil Hospital.
Four injured have been referred to Bhopal district hospital and some of them have been referred to other hospitals for treatment. Local police RPF and others have reached the blast site. The police later detained three persons from Piparia in connection with the blast. Information gleaned from the trio during interrogation was later shared with the Central agencies. Additional director general of police, Ujjain, Madhu Kumar and senior officials of Ratlam railway division have rushed to the accident site. The exact cause of the blast will be known after examination of the affected coach, Kumar said. In the blast nine have injured including Bharti daughter of Ganpat Yadav (30) resident of Sehore, Durgesh son of Gangaram (25) Sehore, Amritlal son of Ramlal Sahu (45) of Pachore, Jiya wife of Sourabh Kushwaha (27) Sehore. Pushpa wife of Gulab Singh (45) Sehore, Sayad Hassan (55) of Sarangpur, Balulal son of Hariprasad Malviya (45) Pipaliya, Neha daughter of Santosh Yadav (15) Bhopal and Shanti daughter of Gendalal (35) of Sehore.
Chouhan orders inquiry into train blast
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered an inquiry into the Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train blast in Shajapur district. The state government also announced a financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each to the seriously injured persons and Rs 25,000 each to the other injured passengers.
Centre seeks report on MP train blast
New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday sought a report from the Madhya Pradesh government on the blast on board a train in Shajapur in which eight persons were injured. In a communication, the Home Ministry asked the state government to send a detailed report about the incident and action taken so far to nab those involved in it, sources said.
HELPLINE NOs: Ujjain 0734-1072 and 0734-60906, Indore 0731-1072, 0731-2521044, 0731-2521045 and 0731-2521046, Ratlam 07412-1072, Nagda 07366-1072, Bhopal 0755-4001606 and 0755-56508 and Habibganj 0755-4001603 and 0755-55551
