A gas cylinder was placed on the railway track near the crossing of Munderi village, between Barrajpur and Bilhaur stations, on the Kanpur-Kasganj route, in an attempt to derail the Kalindi Express.
The speeding train, traveling at 70-80 km/h, collided with the cylinder, which was flung away upon impact. A loud explosion followed, and the train's driver immediately brought the train to a halt.
The Kanpur Police Commissionerate quickly responded after the alert was raised. Forces from six police stations, along with ACPs from Bilhaur and Ghatampur, rushed to Bilhaur station and Shivrajpur Munderi railway station. During the investigation, a filled LPG cylinder was found near the track, along with a petrol bottle and a matchbox in a bag.
The incident occurred at 8:25 PM when the Kalindi Express (14117) was traveling from Kanpur to Bhiwani and passed through Munderi Crossing. The locomotive pilot, Raj Kishore, stopped the train after hearing a loud sound caused by the collision with the cylinder. The train remained halted on the tracks for around 22 minutes. Meanwhile, the Lucknow-Bandra Express, heading to Bandra Terminus from Lucknow, was also stopped at Bilhaur station as a precaution.
Following the incident, the train guard informed the authorities, and a memo was sent to the railway administration from Bilhaur station. The crossing gatekeeper, Pappu Pal, was also informed. After ensuring the tracks were clear, the train resumed its journey.
According to reports, police conducted a search operation using lights and discovered a filled LPG cylinder between Taripula and Toll. About 50 meters away, a petrol bottle and a matchbox were also found in a bag, along with a powdery substance believed to be explosives. Forensic teams have been called to further investigate the materials.
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Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Harish Chandra, told news agency PTI that the locomotive pilot saw the LPG cylinder placed on the tracks and applied the emergency brakes. The train hit the cylinder before coming to a halt, causing the cylinder to move away from the tracks. The locomotive pilot informed the guard and the gateman about the incident.
Following the incident, the train was halted near the collision site and later stopped at Bilhaur station for further investigation.
Efforts are being made to identify the culprits, and they will be dealt with sternly, he added.
