Guwahati: A six-year-old child was killed and 13 others, including two security personnel, injured when five bogies and engine of the Kolkata-bound Garibrath Express derailed after NDFB militants blasted rail tracks in Assam's Kokrajhar district in the wee hours on Thursday.
The explosion took place hours after suspected NDFB militants had blown up railway tracks at two places in Sonitpur district last night. Rail traffic has been affected in the state due to the explosions.
A red alert has been issued in Assam in view of the serial blasts, police said.
The IED blast took place around 2.25 am at Babuli between Gosaigaon and Chowtara in lower Assam, police said. The engine and the first coach of the train were badly damaged in the explosion, railway officials said.
A child was killed in the mishap. He was identified as Durlav Chetia of Guwahati, they said. The injured have been admitted to a hospital in Alipurduar in West Bengal.
Police also suspect the hand of Maoists in the attack.
The General Manager of Northeast Frontier Railways (Guwahati), along with senior officials, are at the spot, a railway spokesperson said, adding Divisional General Manager (Alipurduar) had reached there with a medical team.
Passengers have been sent by an another train, while recovery vans from New Bongaigaon (Assam) and Alipurduar have been sent to the spot, he said. The banned group had threatened to target railway tracks and roads in Tezpur and Udalgiri districts. PTI
