Bhubaneswar: A portion of railway tracks between Karampada (Jharkhand) and Renjeda in Odisha’s Sundargarh district was damaged due to a blast triggered by suspected Maoists on Sunday morning, the last day of ‘Shaheed Saptah’ (Martyrs’ Week).
Maoist posters were found about one kilometre from the blast site, sources said.
The blast, which occurred in the insurgency-hit Saranda forest region, damaged Bimalagarh section of the railway line. Fortunately, no casualty or injury was reported since no trains were on the route. The explosion, however, created a deep crater on the track, affecting train traffic on Howrah-Mumbai main line, one of India’s busiest rail corridors.
Meanwhile, joint forces from Odisha and Jharkhand Police, CRPF, and Jharkhand Jaguars have launched search operations, with bomb detection units checking for additional explosives. Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) have also been deployed at Bisra, Bhalulata, and Jareikela stations, all located in Maoist-affected zones of the route in Sundargarh. Besides enhanced surveillance, additional forces have been stationed to guard railway assets, stations, and trains.