After a passenger on an express train headed for Kannur in Kerala lit other passengers on fire late Sunday, three passengers, including a two-year-old boy, were discovered dead on a railroad track and eight others suffered burn injuries.
A special investigation team will be created to look into the incident, according to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also holds the responsibility for the home department. Vijayan described the event as shocking in an official statement and stated that the police have stepped up their search for the perpetrator. Anil Kanth, the state police head, will direct the investigation.
“The state government will take necessary steps to ensure the safety of the rail passengers. The Union Ministry of Railways would be asked to strengthen the safety of rail passengers,’’ he said.
When the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express was about to pass the Korapuzha bridge between Kozhikode and Kannur stretch, the incident took place at 9:45 p.m. inside the train.
The three bodies were discovered early on Monday, according to the authorities, while conducting an inspection of the track close to Korapuzha, the scene of the incident. The three victims may have jumped out of the train in a panic when the fire started in the compartment, the authorities believe.
According to Kozhikode City Police Commissioner Rajpal Meena, eight commuters also suffered burn wounds. “We have launched an investigation and are pursuing various leads,” he declared.
A person carrying two bottles suspected of containing flammable material entered a reserved coach minutes after the train left the Kozhikode train station, according to the police, who were citing eyewitnesses. Without any warning, the attacker doused fellow commuters in fuel and set them ablaze. Passengers in a panic fled to other spaces. The train came to a halt on a bridge over the Korapuzha River when someone pulled the alarm chain in the interim. The accused attacker ran away. Following the sealing of two cabins, the train continued on its route.
