Alert passengers threw the sack containing the explosives out of the train, Avadh-Assam Express, and averted a major tragedy.
A major tragedy was averted when a massive firecracker explosion rocked a sleeper coach of Avadh-Assam Express at Bareilly Junction Station on Monday, a day after the Diwali festival.
According to GRP sources, there was a massive explosion in coach number S2 of 15910 Avadh Assam Express running between Lalgarh to Dibrugarh on Monday afternoon causing chaos inside the bogie. Luckily, none was injured in the incident.
Eyewitnesses said illegal firecrackers were kept in a sack kept in the bogie which went off. However, some alert passengers immediately threw the sack out of the train, thereby averting a major accident.
Advertisement
The Avadh Assam Express reached Bareilly at around 12:50 pm on Monday afternoon. As soon as the train stopped at the junction, there was a loud explosion in coach number S2. The GRP and RPF immediately reached the spot. The fire brigade also reached the spot after receiving information about the fire on the train.
When the GRP personnel went inside the bogie and investigated, it was found that an unknown youth was illegally carrying firecrackers in a sack on the train. As soon as the incident happened, the culprit ran away by jumping from the emergency window of the train. GRP is busy searching for him.
On the other hand, after the incident, the train was stopped for about 45 minutes and was dispatched after searching all the coaches.
Fire Department officials said after receiving the information about the fire in the Avadh Assam Express, four fire tenders were rushed to the spot. Initial investigation revealed that firecrackers were kept in a sack in S2 bogie and probably someone put a burning beedi or cigarette on the sack, due to which the firecrackers caught fire. The sack was immediately thrown out of the bogie. There has been no casualty in the incident.
Earlier, the Railways had received threats of blasts in many railway stations including Ghaziabad, Saharanpur, and Meerut had received terrorist threats to bomb on November 13.
Advertisement
