Chandigarh, Jan. 24 -- A powerful explosion damaged a freight train engine on a railway track in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib district on Friday night, barely 48 hours before Republic Day, raising security concerns and prompting a multi-agency investigation.
The incident occurred around 9:50 pm near Khanpur on Friday, between Sirhind and Mandi Gobindgarh stations, when a goods train heading toward Ludhiana was moving on a newly laid Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) track. As the locomotive approached a level crossing, a sudden blast damaged the engine and injured the loco pilot.
Officials said the explosion was strong enough to tear apart nearly 12 feet of the railway track. Track components and sleepers were damaged, and the engine's front g...