PATNA: A major train mishap was averted due to the timely detection of a damaged track on the Kiel-Jhajha-Jasidih section late on Thursday.
The section falls under the Danapur division of the east-central railway in Bihar’s Jamui district.
A few unidentified miscreants had tampered with the track causing damage to it. District police and railway protection force suspected the involvement of local criminals in the incident.
Several trains passed through the damaged portion of the track until the matter came to the notice of a patrolling team. The movement of trains was diverted as a precautionary measure and to carry out repair work on damaged portion of the track.
Brind Kumar, station house officer of the government railway police (GRP), said that the track was found damaged near Naga River on Delhi-Howrah main line when a patrolling team was passing through the region.
An alert was sounded, and senior railway officials were apprised of the matter.
Dilip Kumar and Rahul Kumar, who were on patrol of tracks on the route, said that they noticed the damaged track at around 10 pm.
Materials used for cutting the track were found beside the track.
“We immediately informed the station manager of Jhajha, who issued necessary directions to the officials concerned,” they said.
The officials suspected the involvement of people from nearby Gogharia and Fatehpur villages.
“Investigation is underway. We will be able to make any comment after receiving a preliminary report,” said railway security commissioner Hari Narayan Ram. He admitted that a few clips were missing from the same spot during the inspection by a team earlier.