Fear gripped the officials of the railway department and the commuting passengers when they were informed about two explosive devices traced on the railway track near Kirawale, forcing the authorities to stall running of the trains on Gunji-Londa section for more than half an hour on Thursday.
However, the police and railway authorities heaved a sigh of relief when the bomb detection squad from Belagavi rushed to the spot and declared that the explosives were fire crackers.
Additional Superintendent of Police B.N. Nyamgouda, who rushed to the spot with the bomb detection squad told The Hindu that a gangman, Mr. Hanmanthgouda noticed the explosives during routine track maintenance work around 9 a.m. and alerted the railway officials immediately. The squad found that the fire crackers (Laxmi bomb) were wrapped by a jute twine but there were no metal pieces or balls inside. One of the two crackers was burst and another disposed off.
The train operations had been restored. The Khanapur police have registered a case and taken up further investigation.
