Woman killed two months before wedding as twin blasts hit train at Chennai station
A woman was killed and at least 14 people were injured in two "low-intensity" explosions that took place on Guwahati-Bangalore Express at Chennai Central railway station on Thursday.
Cops and security officials stand near a passenger train in which two explosions occurred, at Chennai railway station.(Reuters photo)
Bomb detection and disposal squad personnel search cargo for explosives on the platform of Bangalore railway station after twin explosions killed one and injured several in Chennai. (AFP photo)
Blood lies splattered at a railway platform close to a passenger train that was ripped by two blasts at Chennai railway station. (AP photo)
Medics treat an injured passenger of a train blast at a hospital in Chennai.(AP photo)
Medics treat an injured passenger of a train blast at a hospital in Chennai.(AP photo)
A member of the bomb disposal squad examines the area next to a passenger train in which two explosions occurred at Chennai railway station. (Reuters photo)
Police and porters stand near the site of a bomb attack at a train station in Chennai. (AFP photo)
Swati (24), an assistant systems engineer at IT firm TCS, in blasts on Guwahati-Bangalore Express in Chennai. (HT photo)
Police and security officials examine the scene of a bomb attack at a train station in Chennai. (AFP photo)
A victim, who was injured in an explosion that occurred in a passenger train, lies in a hospital in Chennai. (Reuters photo)
People crowd at a railway station to get the glimpse of a passenger train in which two explosions occurred, in Chennai. (Reuters photo)
Police and train station workers stand near the site of a bomb attack at a train station in Chennai. (AFP photo)
A victim, who was injured in an explosion that occurred in a passenger train, lies in a hospital in Chennai. (Reuters photo)
A TV grab of the blast site at Chennai Central railway station. (Agencies)
A TV grab of the blast site at Chennai Central railway station. (Agencies)
Chennai railway station
A member of a bomb disposal squad with a sniffer dog examines a passenger train in which two explosions occurred, at Chennai Central railway station. (Reuters photo)
A policeman stands guard next to a passenger train in which two explosions occurred, at the railway station in Chennai. (Reuters photo)
Cops stand guard next to a passenger train in which two explosions occurred at the railway station in Chennai.(Reuters photo)
The Tamil Nadu Police detained a person for questioning. Authorities suspect the blasts were caused by bombs planted on the train, said M Bhupati, spokesperson of Southern Railway.
Condemning the blasts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said such "barbaric acts" highlight the "desperation and cowardice" of those responsible. He asserted that no efforts would be spared in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa ordered a Crime Branch-CID probe, while the opposition DMK slammed the state government over law and order.
The woman killed in the blasts was identified as Swati, a 24-year-old engineer who had recently joined a leading software firm TCS in Bangalore. She was supposed to tie the knot after two months.
The first explosion took place around 10 minutes after the Guwahati-bound train, running one and a half hours late, chugged into platform number nine at Chennai Central around 7am. The second blast was heard within a few seconds.
"They were not major blasts. It is suspected that Chennai was not the target as the train was running late," Tamil Nadu director general of police K Ramanujam said.
Prasanna Darnal, a 20-year-old nursing student on board, said, "It was like a small Diwali bomb going off. There were shrieks and cries of people and everyone was rushing to get out of the train."
Southern Railway general manager Rakesh Misra told reporters the blasts took place in S4 and S5 sleeper coaches.
The injured, including two hurt seriously, were rushed to a state-run hospital, where doctors said they were out of danger.
Cops and security officials stand near a passenger train in which two explosions occurred, at Chennai railway station.(Reuters photo)
Bomb detection and disposal squad personnel search cargo for explosives on the platform of Bangalore railway station after twin explosions killed one and injured several in Chennai. (AFP photo)
Blood lies splattered at a railway platform close to a passenger train that was ripped by two blasts at Chennai railway station. (AP photo)
Medics treat an injured passenger of a train blast at a hospital in Chennai.(AP photo)
Medics treat an injured passenger of a train blast at a hospital in Chennai.(AP photo)
A member of the bomb disposal squad examines the area next to a passenger train in which two explosions occurred at Chennai railway station. (Reuters photo)
Police and porters stand near the site of a bomb attack at a train station in Chennai. (AFP photo)
Swati (24), an assistant systems engineer at IT firm TCS, in blasts on Guwahati-Bangalore Express in Chennai. (HT photo)
Police and security officials examine the scene of a bomb attack at a train station in Chennai. (AFP photo)
A victim, who was injured in an explosion that occurred in a passenger train, lies in a hospital in Chennai. (Reuters photo)
People crowd at a railway station to get the glimpse of a passenger train in which two explosions occurred, in Chennai. (Reuters photo)
Police and train station workers stand near the site of a bomb attack at a train station in Chennai. (AFP photo)
A victim, who was injured in an explosion that occurred in a passenger train, lies in a hospital in Chennai. (Reuters photo)
A TV grab of the blast site at Chennai Central railway station. (Agencies)
A TV grab of the blast site at Chennai Central railway station. (Agencies)
A member of a bomb disposal squad with a sniffer dog examines a passenger train in which two explosions occurred, at Chennai Central railway station. (Reuters photo)
A policeman stands guard next to a passenger train in which two explosions occurred, at the railway station in Chennai. (Reuters photo)
Cops stand guard next to a passenger train in which two explosions occurred at the railway station in Chennai.(Reuters photo)
The Tamil Nadu Police detained a person for questioning. Authorities suspect the blasts were caused by bombs planted on the train, said M Bhupati, spokesperson of Southern Railway.
Condemning the blasts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said such "barbaric acts" highlight the "desperation and cowardice" of those responsible. He asserted that no efforts would be spared in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa ordered a Crime Branch-CID probe, while the opposition DMK slammed the state government over law and order.
The woman killed in the blasts was identified as Swati, a 24-year-old engineer who had recently joined a leading software firm TCS in Bangalore. She was supposed to tie the knot after two months.
The first explosion took place around 10 minutes after the Guwahati-bound train, running one and a half hours late, chugged into platform number nine at Chennai Central around 7am. The second blast was heard within a few seconds.
"They were not major blasts. It is suspected that Chennai was not the target as the train was running late," Tamil Nadu director general of police K Ramanujam said.
Prasanna Darnal, a 20-year-old nursing student on board, said, "It was like a small Diwali bomb going off. There were shrieks and cries of people and everyone was rushing to get out of the train."
Southern Railway general manager Rakesh Misra told reporters the blasts took place in S4 and S5 sleeper coaches.
The injured, including two hurt seriously, were rushed to a state-run hospital, where doctors said they were out of danger.
