Midnight explosion on railway tracks in western Assam disrupts services; no casualties reported
A powerful improvised explosive device (IED) blast on railway tracks in western Assam’s Kokrajhar district disrupted train services between Assam and north Bengal early on Thursday morning.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said a major tragedy was averted as locomotive drivers noticed the explosion in time and alerted authorities. “We have identified one suspect believed to be involved in the blast. The Assam Police are probing the case and investigating which organisation may be behind it. Several cases are already registered against the suspect in Assam and Jharkhand,” Sarma said, adding that train services under the Northeast Frontier Railway have since been restored.
Security sources said the explosion occurred around 1 a.m., about five kilometres from Kokrajhar railway station on the route towards Salakati. “The blast damaged nearly three feet of the railway line, with metal fragments scattered several metres away,” they said.
Kokrajhar Superintendent of Police Pushpraj Singh confirmed that no casualties or derailments occurred. “The damage was confined to a short section of the track, which was promptly repaired. Train operations have resumed,” he said.
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said the goods train crew reported a heavy jerk before halting the train. “Upon inspection, damage to the track and sleepers was found due to a suspected bomb blast. The track was restored at 5.25 a.m., and normal services resumed. Around eight trains were delayed due to the incident,” Sharma said.
Security has been intensified across western Assam, while State Police, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), and intelligence agencies are jointly investigating the blast.
