AP-Odisha Train Mishap Likely A Sabotage

The Railways and the Andhra Pradesh Police today expressed suspicion that the Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Express derailment was an act of sabotage as they sampled strong evidence indicating deliberate damage to the tracks near Kuneru station in the Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh.

"There is strong evidence indicating the vandalization of tracks near Kuneru station. We suspect this to be an act of sabotage likely by insurgents as it is a Naxal-prone area. And Republic Day, too, is approaching. So, foul play cannot be ruled out," they said.

As per reports, the Commissioner of Railway Safety is conducting a deep inquiry to ascertain the cause of the "accident". They are also looking into the sabotage angle.

The police said that a goods train had safely passed the same track. The patrolman had also checked the track before the train approached and found no cracks. However, the driver of the train heard loud cracking of metal just before the accident. “Coinciding with this claim, the track does have a gaping cleft in it,” they added.

On Saturday night, around 11 pm, 32 people were killed after nine coaches of the Jagdalpur-Bhubaneswar Express derailed in the Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. Hundreds were injured and are in a critical position. Several more are feared trapped under the debris.