Explosion near Punjab rail track triggers probe, unidentified body found nearby
A low-intensity blast damaged a railway track near Patiala on Monday night, prompting a multi-agency response. Investigators are examining the cause and whether a body found nearby is connected to the incident.
A low-intensity blast near a railway track in Punjab’s Patiala late Monday night damaged a section of the line and triggered a multi-agency probe, officials said. The explosion, reported around 10 pm, occurred on a rail line primarily used for freight movement.
Senior police officials, including Patiala SSP Varun Sharma, along with teams from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF), rushed to the site near the Shambhu–Ambala stretch soon after the incident. Visuals showed officers inspecting the damaged track.
“A low-intensity blast has taken place. It has caused damage to the track,” Sharma said, adding that the extent of damage is being assessed.
BODY RECOVERED, LINK UNDER PROBE
An unidentified, dismembered body was recovered from near the blast site, though officials said it is not yet clear whether the death is linked to the explosion.
“The matter is under investigation,” Sharma said when asked about a possible connection.
MULTIPLE AGENCIES, FORENSIC TEAMS DEPLOYED
Following the incident, senior officers, including the Deputy Inspector General of Police, reached the site to oversee the response. Teams from GRP and RPF also joined the investigation.
Forensic experts have been called in to collect samples and examine the scene to determine the nature and cause of the explosion. Officials are working to piece together the sequence of events and assess whether any sabotage angle is involved.
The blast comes months after a similar incident in January on the dedicated freight corridor in Sirhind, in Fatehgarh Sahib district, which had damaged a train engine and left a loco pilot injured.
AKALI DAL SLAMS GOVERNMENT
The Shiromani Akali Dal hit out at the state government over the incident, raising questions over law and order. Senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the explosion on the Shambhu–Ambala track, which damaged the line and led to the recovery of a mutilated body, had disrupted train services and pointed to a worrying pattern.
Referring to earlier incidents, including the Sirhind blast and a recent suspicious recovery in Gurdaspur, Majithia said repeated occurrences raise “serious security concerns” in the state.
He questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the government’s response, alleging there has been no clear action plan or high-level review on law and order.
Accusing the administration of misusing the police for political purposes, Majithia claimed security decisions were being driven by “political considerations rather than public safety”, and warned of fears of a return to the law and order situation seen in the 1980s and 1990s.
Calling it a “serious failure”, he posed a series of questions on accountability, asking who would take responsibility and how many such incidents would occur before corrective action is taken.
A low-intensity blast near a railway track in Punjab’s Patiala late Monday night damaged a section of the line and triggered a multi-agency probe, officials said. The explosion, reported around 10 pm, occurred on a rail line primarily used for freight movement.
Senior police officials, including Patiala SSP Varun Sharma, along with teams from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF), rushed to the site near the Shambhu–Ambala stretch soon after the incident. Visuals showed officers inspecting the damaged track.
“A low-intensity blast has taken place. It has caused damage to the track,” Sharma said, adding that the extent of damage is being assessed.
BODY RECOVERED, LINK UNDER PROBE
An unidentified, dismembered body was recovered from near the blast site, though officials said it is not yet clear whether the death is linked to the explosion.
“The matter is under investigation,” Sharma said when asked about a possible connection.
MULTIPLE AGENCIES, FORENSIC TEAMS DEPLOYED
Following the incident, senior officers, including the Deputy Inspector General of Police, reached the site to oversee the response. Teams from GRP and RPF also joined the investigation.
Forensic experts have been called in to collect samples and examine the scene to determine the nature and cause of the explosion. Officials are working to piece together the sequence of events and assess whether any sabotage angle is involved.
The blast comes months after a similar incident in January on the dedicated freight corridor in Sirhind, in Fatehgarh Sahib district, which had damaged a train engine and left a loco pilot injured.
AKALI DAL SLAMS GOVERNMENT
The Shiromani Akali Dal hit out at the state government over the incident, raising questions over law and order. Senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the explosion on the Shambhu–Ambala track, which damaged the line and led to the recovery of a mutilated body, had disrupted train services and pointed to a worrying pattern.
Referring to earlier incidents, including the Sirhind blast and a recent suspicious recovery in Gurdaspur, Majithia said repeated occurrences raise “serious security concerns” in the state.
He questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the government’s response, alleging there has been no clear action plan or high-level review on law and order.
Accusing the administration of misusing the police for political purposes, Majithia claimed security decisions were being driven by “political considerations rather than public safety”, and warned of fears of a return to the law and order situation seen in the 1980s and 1990s.
Calling it a “serious failure”, he posed a series of questions on accountability, asking who would take responsibility and how many such incidents would occur before corrective action is taken.
