Guwahati:
On Thursday, a blast on a railway track in Assam's Shibsagar district disrupted railway traffic. However, there were no casualties in the incident.
Three long-haul trains - the Kamrup Express, Delhi-Guwahati Rajdhani and Intercity - were stopped at various stations as a precautionary measure.
Confirming the incident, Northeast Frontier Railway's (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer, S Hajong, said the explosion took place on railway tracks between Bhojo and Longpotia station in the district.
"There is no human casualty. Some portions of the track are damaged due to the blast and we have halted the trains, which are supposed to pass by the area, at nearby stations. Movement of the trains will be affected till the tracks are restored. We are hopeful that the restoration works of the tracks will be done soon," said Hajong.
The blast occurred just after a pilot engine passed Sibsagar district. The Railways has sent rescue and restoration teams.
The blast came a day before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the state. The banned militant organisation United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) had issued a threat ahead of the PM's visit.
(Read: High security in Assam for PM's visit)Meanwhile, IANS reports security forces deployed in Lower Assam's Chirang district, on Thursday, recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) from the railway tracks. "The IED was a powerful one and weighed about three kg. It was planted at Maneswari, about one-km from Bijni railway station in the district," said Chirang Superintendent of Police Debraj Upadhay, while adding that two detonators and some fuse wire were recovered from the spot.
(with IANS inputs)