Kerala: Man Enters Train And Sets Co-Passengers On Fire; CM Vijayan Announces SIT Probe

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday (3 April) said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be formed to probe the fire incident onboard a train, which led to the loss of three lives including an infant, the previous night (2 April) in Kozhikode district of the state.

The accused man who set fire to the people inside one of the compartments of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express on Sunday night is yet to be identified and no arrests have been made so far in the case.

However, police suspect that the incident was pre-planned as he was carrying petrol in a bottle in his bag.

A Railway Police officer said that besides them some other agencies were also looking into the matter to ascertain whether it has any terror links.

'No other details can be shared presently. The investigation is going on,' the officer said. He also said a sketch of the accused based on the statement by one of the passengers has been released.

CM Vijayan, in a statement, said the police have been instructed to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident.

He said the police were actively trying to catch hold of the assailant and the probe was being supervised by Director General of Police (DGP) Anil Kant.

The CM further said the state government will take strong measures to ensure the safety of rail passengers and the Ministry of Railways will be requested to take all possible steps in the matter of passenger safety.

Vijayan also condoled the death of the three persons -- a woman, her infant niece and a man -- who are believed to have fallen off the train or attempted to get down after seeing the fire.

He said it was sad and shocking to hear the loss of three lives, including that of a baby, and the burns suffered by the passengers.

Nine passengers suffered burns in the incident and are admitted in various hospitals in Kozhikode.

A case of murder has been lodged against the accused, police said earlier.

The bodies of a woman, an infant and a man, who went missing from the train after the fire, were recovered from the tracks near the Elathur railway station here, late on Sunday night.

The incident occurred around 9.45 pm on Sunday, when the train reached the Korapuzha railway bridge after crossing Kozhikode city.

Initially, it was believed that the incident was an outcome of an altercation between the accused and another passenger.

Subsequently, police and a passenger present in the compartment have said the accused did not have any altercation with anyone. One of the injured passengers, who suffered minor burns, told a TV channel that the man suddenly came without a word or sound and sprayed petrol on several persons and set fire to them.

The accused poured an inflammable liquid, believed to be petrol, on the passengers and set them on fire resulting in burn injuries to nine persons, police said.

Earlier in the day, Railway police said some of the injured had suffered 50 per cent burns, but their health condition was stable.

The bodies found on the tracks did not have any burns, it said.

The accused had escaped soon after the incident, while the injured were shifted to hospitals after passengers pulled the emergency chain.

(With inputs from PTI)