Blast on railway track in Punjab, youth killed
What's the story
A blast occurred on the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) railway track near Bathonia village in Patiala district of Punjab late on Monday night. The explosion took place around 10pm at Kilometre Marker 1174/1-6 between Rajpura and Shambhu, The Times of India reported. The incident triggered a high-intensity security alert across Punjab and neighboring Haryana. Police suspect that the deceased was trying to plant a bomb when it exploded prematurely.
Body discovery
Body found in dismembered state
The body was found in a dismembered state at the blast site, GRP officials said. Patiala DIG Kuldeep Singh Chahal and SSP Varun Sharma reached the spot soon after. SSP Sharma confirmed that the deceased was a resident of the Tarn Taran area in Punjab, but his full identity is yet to be officially released pending family notification.
Ongoing probe
Police teams recovered several items from the scene
Police teams recovered several items from the scene, including wires, suspected explosive materials, and a damaged mobile phone. These items are being examined for forensic evidence. GRP DSP Gurdeep Singh confirmed that Government Railway Police teams rushed to the site and worked swiftly to repair the damaged section, restoring rail traffic within a few hours.
Increased security
Forensic teams from state laboratories sent to collect samples
Security was significantly heightened at major railway stations in the region after the blast, with investigators probing potential "terror module" links. Intelligence agencies were also put on alert, and inter-agency coordination was underway. Forensic teams from state laboratories were sent to collect soil samples and chemical residues to determine the precise composition of the explosive used.
Past incident
Second such attack on DFC in 3 months
This is the second such attack on the Dedicated Freight Corridor in Punjab in three months. In January, a blast near Khanpur village in Fatehgarh Sahib's Sirhind derailed a goods train engine and injured the loco pilot. A case was registered under Section 150 of the Railways Act for maliciously wrecking or attempting to wreck a train.