A railway employee was killed and another seriously injured in an IED blast carried out allegedly by Maoists when a team was inspecting a site where an explosion had occurred earlier in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district early Sunday morning, an RPF official said.
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Confirming the incident, a railway official in Chakradharpur said the incident was part of a two-stage attack carried out by Maoists during the ‘Shaheed Saptah’ (Martyrs’ Week), which was held from July 28 to August 3.
“The first IED explosion occurred early on Sunday, damaging a portion of the track. A second IED, likely planted nearby, exploded around 9.30 am as a patrol team was inspecting the affected section,” said a senior RPF official.
The second blast took place between Karamapada and Rejda railway siding, under the Chakradharpur railway division, severely injuring two railway employees. “Itwa Oraon, a keyman with the Railways, suffered critical leg injuries and was rushed to a hospital. He was declared dead on arrival. His colleague, Budhram Munda, sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment,” he said.
The twin blasts forced authorities to suspend movement on the section of the tracks. An official said that train movement is expected to resume only after a full security clearance.
The CPI (Maoist) has also called for a bandh (shutdown) on August 3 across six states, including Jharkhand, in remembrance of their fallen cadres. The district administration had issued alerts prior to the bandh, and security has been tightened in the region. An official said that additional forces from the CRPF and district police have been deployed as combing operations are underway.
