Petroleum products in a goods train in Assam’s Jorhat district caught fire around 9.30 pm on Monday because of alleged sabotage by separatist elements.
High-speed diesel in 12 tankers went up in smoke, causing disruption in train services.
The train was derailed.
Police
officials in Jorhat district (250 km east of Guwahati) said they suspected the hand of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in the act. They also did not rule out the involvement of the Adivasi National Liberation Front.
The train was hauling 48 tankers from the Numaligarh oil refinery in Golaghat district in the neighbouring area. These tankers were going to UP.
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) officials refrained from specifying the reasons for the derailment of the goods train.
“All we can say is that 300 metres of the track near the Moriani station... was damaged because of the mishap. The picture will be clearer after we get the probe report,” a senior NFR officer said.