JHARSUGUDA: A major casualty was averted after Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel recovered six live Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) connected with 9-volt batteries from a coach of Alleppey-Dhanbad Express at Jharsuguda Road railway station early on Friday. The matter came to light after some passengers of S-3 coach noticed a polythene bag burning under a seat when the train had stopped at Jharsuguda Road railway station at around 3.15 am.
The terror-stricken passengers raised an alarm. Later, an RPF constable, Firoz Khan, rushed to the spot and put out the fire before throwing the bag out of the coach. During verification, the RPF personnel found six live IEDs from the polythene bag.
Subsequently, help was sought from bomb detection and disposal squad stationed at Sambalpur. A five-member bomb detection and disposal squad reached Jharsuguda Road station and defused the six live IEDs. The members of the bomb disposal squad sent the defused IEDs for forensic test.
Divisional Security Commissioner, Sambalpur Railway Division, S Hembrum said due to alertness of the RPF, the IEDs could be detected. Further investigation is on to find out who placed the IEDs inside the train, he added.
On April 19, RPF personnel on board Howrah-Pune Azad Hind Express recovered six bundles of dynamite from a bag in the general compartment of the train during a routine check of passengers’ luggage. It was unloaded from the train at Brajrajnagar railway station.