An improvised explosive device, a sort of a crude bomb, has been found in the Kanchenjunga Express at the Guwahati railway station in Assam.
Police described the device as “powerful” programmable timer device, planted inside a tiffin carrier.
The police have disabled the bomb. The bomb was found at the peak hour on the station.
Kanchenjunga Express plies between Kolkata and Guwahati. The bomb was found during a routine check in the train coming from West Bengal in early morning.
It was found in coach number S7.
There had been an “input” to the local agencies yesterday that there might be a subversive attempt today, the day the Ambubachi Mela, the most important mela celebrated in the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam.
The ULFA is on the verge of entering into a cessation of hostilities agreement with the government.
Search is on to find any more such devices, with an alert sounded in the state.
ULFA or other extremists, some of whom are in talks with the government are suspected to be behind this, with a view to disrupt the peace talks.
Authorities suspect the anti-talks faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland or the ULFA to be behind the attempt. They said that the explosive, if it had gone off, would have killed tens of people.
The toll would have been much higher if the bomb had gone off when the train was in motion, derailing it and causing further casualties. It is not immediately clear why the bomb, which was supposed to explode before the train ended its journey at Guwahati, failed to go off.