Security heightened at Andhra Pradesh railway stations after Chennai blasts

Hyderabad: Security was intensified on Thursday at major railway stations across Andhra Pradesh in the wake of bomb explosions in a train at Chennai Railway station, Government Railway Police (GRP) said.

"We routinely conduct checks and searches at railway stations, however, following the bomb explosions at Chennai railway station, we have intensified the checking at Secunderabad and Nampally railway stations here besides at Warangal and Kazipet and other railway stations," Superintendent of Police (Secunderabad Railway Police) Chandrasekhar Reddy said.

Personnel of RPF, GRP, Bomb-Disposal (BD) and dog squads were carrying out the checking and searches and additional forces were also deployed as part of precautionary measures to prevent any untoward incidents, he said adding they have a BD and Dog squad team that regularly carries out checking round-the-clock.

The public was also asked to be more vigilant on suspected items and goods at railway stations and announcements were being made in this regard.

Meanwhile, in view of BJP's Prime Ministerial nominee Narendra Modi's election tour to Guntur, Nellore, Narsapur and Visakhapatnam, railway police personnel were asked to be on extra alert even as a bag containing fire-crackers covered with thread was found outside the Vijayawada railway station.

"Our BD team found two abandoned bags and after verification of the same at least 15 fire-crackers covered with thread were recovered from the bags. It seems due to the intensity of checking at the railway station, the persons who were carrying the bags left them outside," Superintendent of Police (Vijayawada Division) Ch Syam Prasad told PTI over phone.

The bags along with crackers were handed over to local police who are further investigating. In view of Modi's visit to Guntur and other places, checking has been intensified at different places including parking and luggage areas, the Railway SP added.