Maoists Blow Up Rail Track On Odisha-Jharkhand Border

Rourkela: Unleashing fresh violence, Maoists blew up a railway track near Lota hills at Chakradharpur on Odisha-Jharkhand border on late Sunday night, disrupting train communication on Mumbai-Howrah route.

It is suspected that the rebels may have used IED to destroy the track. Around two metres of the track on the down route has been damaged completely.

In protest against police operation in Bastar in Chhattisgarh, they unleashed fresh violence, reports said. They have not left any hand-written materials or leaflets claiming responsibility of the incident, reports added.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand police with bomb disposal squad, CRPF top officials and Railway Protection Forces (RPF) have reached the spot and launched a joint investigation.

Railway officials have started repair works to restore normalcy on the route. Two express trains had been stranded at Rourkela station for hours following the incident. Passengers are seen grappling with acute heat and humid conditions due to the delay in train services on the route.

Many trains are also running late as only the up route is functional only. Meanwhile, CRPF jawans have intensified combing operations in the nearby hills.

The Maoists had called for a Bharat bandh today protesting against the killing of their cadres in Chhattisgarh and Bihar by the security forces during ‘Operation Prahar’.