Train to tragedy - Part II

Another blast at Dehiwela:

The rush hour on June 4th Wednesday morning was like any other day with passengers heading for work in Colombo and elsewhere.

Majority of the commuters who live on the costal belt travel to work daily by train. It is the most convenient mode of transport available to them. The few trains that operate on the costal line are packed with passengers and some are seen standing on the foot board due to insufficient space in compartments.

Last wednesday one of the Colombo bound trains that left Panadura in the morning hours was packed to capacity with office employees. It has become a customary practice for many office employees to board trains due to its convenience.

As a matter of fact it is a cheap mode of transport available when compared to spiralling bus fares which do not suit the budget of office workers. Trains are also popular because there are no traffic jams unlike road transport. Passengers also know that they can arrive on time at their workplace.

When the Colombo bound train arrived at Dehiwela just past seven O’clock last Wednesday more passengers had boarded the train. A few minutes later the train pulled off and was proceeding towards Wellawatte when a thundering explosion rocked the train around 7.15.a.m. Following the explosion several passengers travelling on the train corridor were thrown overboard sustaining severe injuries.

The thundering blast that reverberated was even heard by persons as far as the Nugegoda junction on the High Level road. Residents living down Kalubovila road instantaneously heard the blast that jolted them that morning.

According to eye witnesses there was a mad scramble on Galle road and else where when traffic came to a grinding halt due to panic.

Some people instead of proceeding to their work places returned home due to fear. This was the scenario that was witnessed by many on that day. However it took a while for people to realise that an explosion had occurred on the railway track.

That morning when we contacted the Police Spokesman Senior Supdt. of Police Ranjith Gunesekera he told the Sunday Observer that there had been an explosion on the railway track between Dehiwela and the Wellawatte railway station near Wasala road around 7.15 am. He also said that 18 persons who sustained injuries were rushed to the Kalubovila teaching hospital.

The injured were 15 males and 3 females. We breathed a sigh of relief when we heard that there were no deaths despite a powerful bomb being detonated. The explosion had damaged the second carriage from the engine and a sizable portion of the rail track was torn apart. The twisted metal of the foot board was a sign that the explosion occurred underneath its carriage.

According to a Railway Spokesman the train was carrying more than 1000 passengers when the bomb exploded. He also said although the railway department has launched a programme to tighten security in trains, the type of attacks carried out by terrorists on Wednesday was unavoidable.

According to Police Media Spokesman SSP Gunesekera the Dehiwela police have taken in for questioning four persons in connection with the blast and have recovered a remote control device on the railway track.

The suspects are being questioned by the police. Police are investigating whether a man had attempted to hurl the bomb at the moving train that fell on the track and exploded. Police are also probing whether the bomb was planted on the rail track.

Meanwhile the report of the Government Analyst is expected to shed light on the terrorist attack.

However it is crystal clear that the bomb was targeted at the train packed with office employees to create further mayhem in the country.

According to the Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara the attack had been launched by the LTTE cadres. Meanwhile the Media Centre for National Security of the Ministry of Defense, Public Security, Law and Order, posted on its website that police were seeking assistance from the public to arrest a terror suspect involved in Wednesdays bombing, named Jatheesan Balasubramaiyam, aged 30 years, possessing a Passport bearing No N 1898438. He is a resident of Wattala area.

The Wednesdays blast occurred nine days after a similar explosion ripped through a train carriage at the Dehiwela railway station killing six women and two males. More than 73 people were injured in the blast.

According Police Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunesekera 13 persons were taken in for questioning. Of the 13 persons 5 persons were issued with Detention Orders to be grilled further. Six persons were produced in courts while two were released after being questioned.

We have mentioned in our earlier reports that trains have become an easy target for terrorist attacks due to lack of security at railway stations. Passengers carrying baggages and parcels are hardly checked at smaller railway stations for explosives. Even the railway tracks have to be effectively patrolled to prevent further attacks.

[email protected]