Maoists explode rail track, pilot engine of Rajdhani derails

Maoists blasted a portion of a railway track between Ismailpur and Rafiganj section in Bihar, leading to derailment of a pilot engine running ahead of the Bhubaneshwar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express.

No casualty was reported in the blast that took place late Tuesday night, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Magadh range, P K Shrivastava said.

In Patna, Chief Public Relations Officer, East Central Railway, Arvind Kumar Rajak said the advance pilot engine running ahead of Bhubaneshwar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express jumped off the track after the incident.

Nearly one dozen mail and Express trains, including three Rajdhani Express trains, have been stranded at various places between Gaya and Mughalsarai due to the incident, Rajak added.

The blast was triggered during a one-day bandh called by the Maoists against police firing in Aurangabad and Rohtas districts.

The CPRO said that nearly three metre of the track has been damaged in the blast. Electric wire overhead has also been damaged, he said. The Deputy Inspector General of Police said that the blast appears to be a powerful one creating a four-feet deep crater.

The blast took place at Lahat village under Rafiganj police station of Aurangabad district at around 11:30 pm on Tuesday.

ECR CPRO said the line was restored on Wednesday morning. 

Image: Officials inspect the tracks, which were blown up by Maoists between Ismailpur and Rafiganj stations in Bihar.