Kerala train fire incident: Railway police arrive in Noida for search op

Kozhikode (Kerala) [India], April 4 (ANI): Two railway police officers arrive in Noida on a search operation for the accused in the recent train fire incident in Kerala’s Kozhikode district.

According to Kerala police sources, the suspect has multiple addresses in Noida and Haryana.

Police have prepared a sketch of the suspect. The drawing was prepared at the Elathoor police station in Kozhikode with the help of Razak, a crucial witness in the case.

Meanwhile, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Anti-terror squad are also investigating the case.

The investigation team recovered a bag near the railway track on Monday which the police suspect belongs to the accused. From the bag, police further recovered things that point to the attacker and his whereabouts.

A team of NIA visited Kozhikode on Sunday a few hours after the incident that occurred around 9.30 pm when the Alappuzha-Kannur Express reached Elathur Korapuzha bridge in Kozhikode.

Three persons were killed and several others sustained burn injuries after an unidentified person splashed an inflammable substance inside the compartment of a moving train and set it ablaze, sources said.

The NIA team, including a Superintendent of Police-level officer, inquired about the train’s D1 compartment which was set ablaze by the unidentified person.

However, it is yet to be declared a terror act, the NIA team assisted the state police during its inquiry on Sunday.

There are reports that a man who resembled the one in the sketch sought treatment at the Kannur District Hospital. The Police arrived at the hospital and collected details.

The accused is learnt to have escaped after someone pulled the chain to stop the train.

A search is on to find the assailant.

Three persons have been taken to a private hospital and five to Kozhikode medical college. At least three of the injured are women.

One of the injured persons has informed that an unidentified assailant splashed an inflammable substance, seemingly petrol or kerosene, and set the train on fire.

According to the officials, the man set fire to a passenger allegedly after an argument on board the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train near Elathur in Kozhikode district on Sunday night. (ANI)