Train carrying iron to Vizag derails as Maoists sabotage track, Rs 2 cr loss to Rlwys

Visakhapatnam: A goods train carrying iron ore from Bacheli in Chhattisgarh to Visakhapatnam derailed after Maoists sabotaged the railway track near Kamalur railway station falling under Visakhapatnam based Waltair railway division, nearly 420 kms here.

Three locomotives of the train and twenty wagons derailed. The railways incurred nearly Rs 2 crore loss due to the derailment. The passenger train services on the line were also short-terminated up to Koraput from Vizag.

“The restoration work is going on. It will take at least one or two days as the severity of the damage to the railway line and the properties was huge,” the Railways official spokesperson told this newspaper.

The incident occurred at 8.35pm on Friday, but came to light on Saturday morning.

Dantewada Maoists of Bhairamgarh Area Committee sabotaged the track when the train No. KVL 45/10 DN was moving towards Visakhapatnam from Kirandul. The derailment was reported between 421 and 422 kilometers near Kamlur, from Vizag. Dozens of armed Maoists took part in the sabotage.

On being informed, an accident relief train from Kirandul rushed to the derailment spot along with Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and other technical team.

Maoists put a banner on the loco of the derailed train about Central India bandh on November 27 and some pamphlets about the bandh were available at the spot, the railway sources told Deccan Chronicle.

The Maoists called for the bandh on Saturday at Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh against the latest Gadchiroli encounter in Central India where 26 extremists were killed.

During the second week of this month, the Maoists’ key leader Milind Teltumbde, who was also in-charge of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra was gunned down in the encounter.