Suspected IED Blast Halts Rail Services in Assam and West Bengal

Railway services in lower Assam and parts of north Bengal faced disruptions on Thursday following an explosion on tracks in Kokrajhar district, allegedly caused by an improvised explosive device (IED).

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that police identified a suspect linked to the blast.

The incident, which occurred at 1 am near the Kokrajhar railway station in the Alipurduar division, resulted in significant damage to a section of the tracks.

No casualties or derailments occurred, according to Senior Superintendent of Police Pushpraj Singh, and repairs were swiftly undertaken to restore train services.

Although train movements were initially suspended, services resumed by 8 am.

Extensive inspections were conducted, and security measures were heightened along the route to ensure safety and facilitate investigations.

The Northeast Frontier Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, stated that the damage was identified after a goods train reported a significant jerk, halting further operations.

Active vigilance by a loco pilot prevented potential disaster by quickly alerting authorities, said CM Sarma, who also mentioned an ongoing investigation to uncover any organizational involvement.