SHIVAMOGGA: The South Western Railway (SWR) has taken strong objection to unverified and unsubstantiated reports attributing the cause of the blast at the stone quarry at Hunasodu near Shivamogga to the railways.
The SWR issued a statement on Friday saying that a section of the press claimed the suspected blast in the stone quarry was related to work being undertaken by agencies sourcing ballast to the railways in that area.
The possibility of an earthquake triggering a blast in the quarry where dynamite is believed to have been stored has also been floated.
"The railway administration hereby strongly refutes these hearsay, unverified and speculative theories floated in the media bringing disrepute to the railways," said SWR in a release.
The railway administration wishes to clarify that the railways are presently not obtaining ballast from any source in the area, the release added.