PTI Chennai Bureau
Chennai, May 1 (PTI) A 24-year old woman techie was killed
and 14 others injured when a twin bomb blast rocked the
Bangalore-Guwhati Express at the busy Central Railway station
in the city today.
The two low-intensity bombs that went off in quick
succession in S4 and S5 coaches about ten minutes after the
train chugged into the platform in the morning, triggered of
chaotic scenes with panic stricken passengers running for
safety.
The woman killed in the mishap has been identified as
Swathi, employed with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in
Bangalore, and was travelling to her home town Guntur in
Andhra Pradesh along with a friend, police said.
Fourteen injured persons, including two critically wounded,
were undergoing treatment at the state-run Rajiv Gandhi
General Hospital where doctors described their condition as
"out of danger".
Police cordoned off the platform where the explosion
occurred, rushed forensic experts, bomb disposal squads and
sniffer dogs to look for clues and the Tamil Nadu Government
transferred the investigation to its specialised wing CB-CID.
The ill-fated train continued its onward journey after
railway authorities replaced three damaged coaches while other
trains were being operated as scheduled after a brief
disruption, railway officials said.
The police are probing all angles including whether the
bomb was planted after the train entered the city railway
station or elsewhere, a police official refusing to be
identified said.
The CB-CID sleuths who have already plunged into the
probe have detained three coaches of the train, collected
pellets found on the scene and other materials, sources said.
The Tamil Nadu police have alerted railway authorities at
various stations from Bangalore to Chennai to look for CCTV
footages for suspects and also the point at which the
explosive material gained entry into the train, sources said.
Two persons who were travelling by the train have been
detained for questioning, police said but refused to reveal
further details.
State DGP K Ramanujam who visited the mishap site said,"
It is a minor blast. It is suspected that Chennai could not
have been target of those who were behind the blast because
the train was running late. Some other location could have
been the target".
"It is premature to say what kind of device was used in the
blast. Damage to the train is not heavy," he added.
DGP (Elections) Anoop Jaiswal said, "We are picking up
clues and any speculation on this is too premature. Nobody has
been arrested so far", he said.
A source in CB-CID said the materials collected from the
explosion site has been sent to forensic laboratory for
analysis and declined to share details of the probe involving
multiple agencies including the Railway police.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the blasts,
which occurred two days after the arrest of a terror suspect
hailing from Sri Lanka and believed to have links with Indian
terror modules.
The floor surface of the two coaches was ripped apart under
the impact of the explosion, but the side walls and the
ceiling did not suffer any damage.
Police ruled out the use of gelatin sticks, which were
involved in some blasts in the past in the state, and suspect
"the triggering device could have been anything including a
mobile phone".
The Union Home Ministry was preparing to send teams of the
National Investigation Agency, National Security Guard and
forensic experts to Chennai, but put on hold the plan after
Tamil Nadu Government refused to take any help, saying its
police was well equipped to handle the blast probe.
The authorities have enlarged security cover and beefed up
vigil at airports, railway and bus terminus across the state,
besides at key installations following the blasts.
The explosions evoked strong condemnation from various
leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chief
Minister J Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M Karunanidhi
among others.
Singh condemned the blasts, saying such "barbaric acts"
highlight the "desperation and cowardice" of those responsible
and asserted that no efforts would be spared in bringing the
perpetrators to justice.
Jayalalithaa, in a quick response, ordered CB-CID probe
into the blasts and announced Rs one lakh ex-gratia to the
family of the deceased, besides Rs 50,000 each to the
grievously wounded and Rs 25,000 to those with minor injuries.
Railway Minister M Mallikarjun Kharge expressed shock
over the blasts and declared Rs one lakh ex-gratia to the
family of the woman, who had joined the TCS only four months
and was to have got married in two months.
He also announced Rs 25,000 immediate relief to seriously
injured and Rs 5,000 to those with minor injuries.
Commissioner Railway Safety (southern circle) S K Mittal
will also conduct an inquiry into the incident, Railway
Spokesperson Anil Saxena said.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, currently campaigning in
Himachal Pradesh said, "I have directed my officials to
provide all assistance to the state government".
