Rourkela, August 3: A railway crew member was killed, and another was critically injured in an IED blast triggered by Maoists on Sunday morning.
The incident took place between Karampada (Jharkhand) and Renjeda (Odisha) track.
The deceased has been identified as Itua Oram, a maintenance Keyman, according to the ADM, Bondamunda Section Naval Kishan Singh.
The explosion, which occurred along the Bimalagarh section, completely destroyed a portion of the railway track.
The blast occurred today amid heightened Maoist activity during the ongoing Martyrs’ Week of the Naxalites.
As per preliminary reports, the explosion caused extensive damage to the railway line under the Bimalagarh section. Earlier reports indicated no trains were plying through the route at the time, averting further casualties. The area falls within the Mao-prone Saranda forest region.
Following the explosion, train operations were suspended on the affected section. Joint teams of the Odisha Police, Jharkhand Police, CRPF, and Jharkhand Jaguars launched extensive search and combing operations through the Saranda forest zone.
Bomb detection units were deployed to rule out the presence of more explosives along the tracks.
Following the incident, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi announced an ex gratia assistance of Rs 10 lakh for the bereaved family.
