A woman passenger was killed and 11 others were injured, two of them grievously, when two bombs went off today in quick succession in two coaches of the Guwahati-Bangalore Express at the Chennai Central railway station, the main railway hub here.
Southern Railway General Manager Rakesh Mishra told reporters that the minor intensity blasts took place at around 7:45 AM in S-4 and S-5 sleeper coaches after the train arrived at the platform number 9.
One woman was killed and two others were injured grievously.
The woman passenger travelling from Bangalore to Vijayawada died. She was identified as 22-year-old Swati, who was slated to go further to Guntur.
Seven persons received minor injuries, Mishra said. The injured were taken to the government-run Rajiv Gandhi general hospital across the road.
Bomb disposal squad and dog squad have been pressed into action.
Mishra said the police was investigating the nature of the blast and those who could be behind it.
The Railway Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs one lakh to the family of dead woman, Rs 25,000 for grievously injured and Rs 5,000 for those with minor injureis.
Mishra said the grievous injuries of the two persons were not life threatening.
He said the whole train was being searched and it may be allowed to carry on with its onward journey.
Soon after the explosion, security personnel cordoned off the platform number 9 but the movement of other trains from and to Chennai Central has not been affected.
Police have mounted a massive search operation in all the trains following the incident.
Mishra said the train had a brief 10 minute halt at the Central Railway station ahead of its ownward journey.
Police said they were probing the cause of explosion and device used for it.
The Railway has started a help line 044-25357398 to render assistance to relatives of passengers.
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