Landmine blast kills railway staff, injures another in Odisha
Railway keyman Etwa Oram, 54, died in the blast while the injured was identified as Budhram Munda, 48. Both were from Sundargarh. "Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased's family," CMO said in a statement.
The blast occurred on the last day of Maoists' annual martyrs' week. Posters were recovered near the damaged track in which Maoists claimed responsibility for the explosion.
ADG (anti-Naxal operations), Odisha, Sanjeeb Panda told TOI, "We suspect the blast was orchestrated by Maoists from neighbouring Jharkhand. We have already intensified combing operations in co-ordination with Jharkhand Police and CRPF."
The explosion affected a section of the Bimalagarh (Odisha)-Kiriburu (Jharkhand) railway line, which exclusively serves goods trains. A senior railway official said, "Movement of goods trains on the route will resume only after police clearance."
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Sources said two explosions were heard near the tracks in the Saranda forest area between Karampada (Jharkhand) and Renjeda (Odisha), one on Saturday night and another Sunday morning.
A police officer said Maoists planted landmines near the tracks, which might have been triggered when the railway employees stepped on them. DIG (western range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said the area had been secured and bomb disposal squads were checking for additional explosives.
This marks the second suspected Maoist attack in Sundargarh within three months. On May 27, Maoists allegedly stole 5,000kg of gelatin sticks from a local stone quarry, which police later recovered.
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