14 hurt in Kolkata train explosion

At least 14 passengers were injured when an explosion took place inside a compartment of Sealdah- Krishnanagar local train early this morning, an Eastern Railway official said.

R N Mahapatra, CPRO Eastern Railway, said the train left Sealdah station at 03:20 AM and reached Titagarh station at 03:55 AM. The blast took place just after a person boarded the train at Titagarh station.

He said of the 14 injured, seven were discharged after being given first aid while seven others were admitted to a nearby hospital.

Security has been beefed up to ensure passenger safety, he said, adding that the incident appeared to be the outcome of group rivalry. Train services along the Sealdah Main Section <g data-gr-id="29">was</g> normal.

The railway police were investigating the incident which appeared to be a crude bomb blast.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at the police accusing them of a cover-up and demanded an investigation into the incident.

“We have seen blasts in Burdwan and then in <g data-gr-id="25">Pingla</g> that was extremely powerful. Now, we find criminals hurling bombs at one another inside a train compartment. Bengal is now a fertile ground for such horrible incidents. We want proper investigation so that the real picture comes out,” said Bharatiya Janata <g data-gr-id="26">Party  national</g> secretary Sidharth Nath Singh.