Chandigarh: A powerful blast damaged a freight train engine on a railway line in Sirhind area of Fatehgarh Sahib district in Punjab, around 48 hours ahead of Republic Day, officials said on Saturday. The train’s pilot sustained injuries in the incident.
The explosion occurred around 9.50 pm on Friday when a freight train heading towards Ludhiana was passing through a newly laid railway track near the Khanpur railway crossing. The track is part of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), which has been developed exclusively for the movement of goods trains.
Officials said the impact of the blast was severe, damaging nearly 12 feet of the railway track. Portions of the track and sleepers were shattered due to the intensity of the explosion, triggering panic in the area. Railway teams rushed to the spot during the night and carried out repair work to restore the track.
Sources said there was suspicion of use of explosives, possibly RDX, though no official confirmation has been made so far.
On Saturday morning, DIG of Ropar range Nanak Singh visited the site and reviewed the situation. He said security checks and barricading were being carried out based on available inputs. “At this stage, it would be premature to term it a terror attack. Only after a detailed investigation will the nature of the incident be clear. For now, it appears to be a criminal act,” he said.
Further investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the blast and identify those responsible.
