Suspected Maoists on Thursday blew up the railway track in Bihar's Motihari district on the Muzaffarpur-Narkatiaganj section under Samastipur division of East Central Railway leading to the derailment of a goods train. After the blast the rebels set afire one of the diesel tankers being hauled by the train. At least 14 tankers were reduced to shells.
The driver and guard acted quickly and detached the rear 33 diesel-laden tankers and the engine. Fire brigades from Motihari and Muzaffarpur took over five hours to extinguish the inferno. The railways estimated the loss at over Rs. 5 crore.
Repair work expedited
At least six trains were cancelled, while some long route trains bound for Howrah and Delhi were either regulated or diverted. Repair work has been speeded up for restoration of movement of trains on the section.
IANS reports:
The incident took place between the Jeevdhara and Pipra railway stations at Motihari, about 200 km from Patna. "The goods train driver and guard informed us that Maoists set afire an oil tanker and the fire spread to other tankers," East Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Dilip Kumar said over telephone.
