Manoharpur (Jharkhand)/Rourkela (Orissa):
Restoration work was going on in full swing on the tracks damaged by the Maoist attack on a running passenger train on the Orissa-Jharkhand border on Thursday night that left two persons dead and 55 injured.
Eight bogies of the Tata-Bilaspur passenger train derailed after Maoists blew up railway tracks between Manoharpur and Posoita railway stations in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.
Unconfirmed reports put the death toll at seven. The blast that took place just in front of the engine about 20 minutes after a pilot engine passed the spot, badly damaging the engine and upline tracks. While two bogies fell on their side, six derailed.
Workers of the South Eastern Railway are trying to restore the downline first as only the power line snapped there and it would take less time to carry out the repair work, railway sources said here. It would take around two hours to restore the downline, they said.
Long distance trains like Lokmanya Tilak Express, Samarsata Express and Azad Hind Express were diverted to reach Howrah via Ranchi, the sources said, adding many local trains and Sambaleswari Express were cancelled. (
Read: Latest list of trains diverted, cancelled)
Meanwhile, a relief train carrying the injured passengers arrived in this steel town of Orissa in the wee hours on Friday.
Area manager, Bondamunda Railway Yard, H K Padhee, who escorted the injured passengers, said that of the 55 injured, 32 were discharged after first aid, while the rest were admitted to the Ispat General Hospital and Government Hospital in Rourkela.
The coaches of the Tata-Bilaspur passenger train derailed a little after 9 o'clock on Thursday night. The guard of the train said there was a strong jerk as the train was moving and stone chips went flying in all directions. There was a cloud of dust as the train came to a halt.
The train was on its way from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand to Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh. The Maoists targeted this train possibly because it was carrying a contingent of central forces to Chhattisgarh for anti-Naxal operations. Of the eight coaches that derailed, three carrying the security forces have been badly damaged. Relief trains have been rushed from Rourkela and Chakradharpur.
Following the incident, some other trains have been diverted to different routes.
The Howrah-Mumbai Express via Nagpur and the Howrah-Ahmedabad Express, which left last night, has been diverted from Tatanagar.
The Pune-Howrah Azad Hind Express and the Mumbai-Howrah Mail via Nagpur, will be diverted from Chakradharpur and are expected to be delayed.
Helpline: 066-2501072 (Orissa); 06587-238071 (Jharkhand); 0657-1072 (Jamshedpur)Bandh callMeanwhile, the Maoists have called for a 24-hour bandh in Jharkhand today. They are protesting against the upcoming assembly elections.
Among its other demands, the banned outfit has asked the government to put an immediate end to proposed Operation Green Hunt and withdrawal of security forces occupying schools and government buildings.
The bandh has been called on a day when Congress president Sonia Gandhi is due to visit Dumka and Dhanbad districts.
Police are on high alert following the daylong bandh call.