Major blast on railway track in Punjab ahead of Republic Day, freight train engine damaged; 12-foot section of track blown up

Sirhind (The Uttam Hindu): Just 48 hours before Republic Day, a powerful blast occurred late at night on a railway track in the Sirhind area of Fatehgarh Sahib district, Punjab. The explosion damaged the engine of a freight train, and the locomotive pilot sustained injuries. Preliminary inputs suggest that RDX may have been used in the blast.

The incident took place at around 11 pm, when a freight train was passing through the dedicated freight corridor railway line, which is used exclusively for goods trains. As the train engine reached near the Khanpur railway gates, a sudden and loud explosion occurred.

The impact of the blast was severe, completely destroying nearly 12 feet of the railway track, which was blown apart. Due to the explosion, the freight train engine suffered damage.

The injured driver was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for primary medical treatment. Following the blast, panic spread in the area. Railway officials were informed without delay, and police along with railway authorities reached the spot and began an investigation. Security agencies are examining all angles, considering the timing of the incident ahead of Republic Day.