A major tragedy was averted when alert personnel of the Government Railway Police (GRP) recovered a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from the Guwahati-bound Kanchenjungha Express on Friday morning, thereby saving the lives of about 1,100 passengers.
Police recovered a Programmable Time Delay Device (PTD), three detonators and high explosives packed in a steel milk container that was kept concealed in the bag.
A little known extremist outfit, Adivasi People's Army (APA), reportedly claimed responsibility for planting the bomb on the train.
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The train coming from Sealdah in West Bengal arrived at the Guwahati station at 5.20 a.m.
Railway Police said the IED was detected from an unclaimed bag found in sleeper coach number 5 during the routine check of passengers' baggage. The bomb disposal squad of the Assam Police Special Branch covered the bag with a safety blanket and defused the IED after getting passengers to disembark and moving the train to a safe distance.