The fire was noticed at around 2354 hrs IST in the last two bogies of the train when it reached the railway crossing near the village Deewana, about 10 kilometres from Panipat (about 90 kilometre from Delhi). Eye witnesses say they heard an explosion before the train caught fire.
The high-security Samjhauta Express (also called Atari Special) runs between Delhi and Attari (on the Indian border with Pakistan) where travelers cross into Pakistan to board a connecting train to the city of Lahore.
The railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav later confirmed that "arms and explosives have been recovered from the site" and that "unwanted elements are trying to disturb the peace process" between India and Pakistan after initial reports indicated that two live bombs were found from other bogies of the train and a terror-attack was suspected.
CouldHave Been Far Worse
It was a gateman at Deewana station who had seen the fire in the train as it pulled out of the station last night and promptly informed the authorities. A bigger tragedy was averted only because of his prompt action that made itpossible for the burning bogies to be immediately cut-off from the train and rescue operations launched by the local police in association with the Railway police and bomb disposal squad. The bogies were completely charred and the fire could be extinguished only with the help of fire tenders from the Panipat district and the Indian Oil refinery. With the charred bogies separated from the train, and after athrough investigation for explosives, the train was allowed to leave for Attari at about 0300 hrs IST Monday morning.
Identification Difficult
Bodies charred beyond recognition, mangled metal of the two coaches, burnt bangles, footwear and other belongings of the passengers bore mute testimony to the ghastly attack. Superintendent of Police (Panipat) Mohinder Singh Sheoran was to admit that the identification of thedead was difficult as the bodies were charred beyond recognition in the fire that followed theexplosions.
The railway authorities have not yet made available the list of the dead, orthose travelling in these two bogies, but it has been confirmed that at least one security personnel was one of the unfortunate victims, most of whom are suspected to be Pakistanis. Four railway personnelare also amomg those killed. This is the first time Indians and Pakistanis have been jointly targeted. Indian government has announced that it would provide immediate visas to the unfortunate victims.
ForensicInvestigation
Forensic experts who collected samples from the scene of blasts were of the view that low-intensity explosives like sulphur or nitrate were used to trigger the explosions and kerosene-filled bottles kept in the bogies were used as a catalyst to spread the fire.
Theexperts feel that a deadly cocktail of low-intensity explosives and kerosene bombs were used to trigger the blasts that converted the two general compartments into an inferno.They recovered several kerosene bottles, 3 pipe bombs and some low-intensity explosive devices from other compartments of the train, which caught fire at midnight.
"The modus operandi is new. They had used low-intensity explosives to trigger the blast and kerosene to ignite the fire. The idea it seems was to cause largescale destruction by fire," J S Mahanwal, Director Forensic laboratory Haryana, said.
Forensic experts said they are yet to find out whether a timer device or some other equipment like flash were used to trigger the explosives. "We have collected samples and will soon find out how the explosives were triggered."
Initial investigations have also ruled out the use of RDX in the explosions and is moving on the assumption that sulphur or nitrate were used.
"We have defused two pipe bombs, 2 IEDs and recovered 10 to 15 kerosene bottles from three compartments," Mahanwal said.
The experts said igniting fire in a moving train can cause largescale destruction as was evident from the Godhra episode in Gujarat.
Eye-witnessaccounts
A Saharanpur resident, Zubaida, who was going to Karachi in Pakistan, recountedthat around midnight and there was noise and shouts of fire from the passengers.
"Initially I and other passengers failed to understand as to what had happened," shestated at the railway station in Ambala where the train made a special haltafter departure from Deewana.
Zubaida, who was travelling in the three-tier sleeper bogie adjacent to the one which was burnt said, "after seeing outside I and other passengers found that the bogies behind ours were on fire".
SecurityConcerns
The tragedy has also raised questions on the security at the Old Delhi railway station, as the explosives were believed to have been planted at the starting point of the journey.A senior police officer said a Pakistani national Shamsuddin, who was travelling in the train, has given information to the police regarding some explosives being planted in it. Police is talking to the passenger.
"Though there are metal detectors, we don't have the equipment to check what is inside the luggage. We can't deny that,"railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav was to tell reporters later when asked if there was any security lapse in the checking-in of Samjhauta Express passengers. "Worldwide, no such equipment is available," he said. He said each and every luggage could not be checked as it caused inconvenience to the passengers. "We will accept if there is any fault on the part of Railways. We don't want to cover up," he said.
"It is the responsibility of the state governments to ensure the security of the train," he said, pointing towards the state governments of Punjab and Haryana which he said had a major role in ensuring the security of the train as the Railway Protection Force did not have much powers.
Railway police was escorting the train till Attari, where more security checks were to take place, he stated.
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TheTrain to Pakistan
The bi-weekly Samjhauta Express, which derives its name from the Shimla Agreement between India and Pakistan, was Introduced between Amritsar and Lahore after India and Pakistan decided to open the rail route in 1975. After suspension of services in 2002 after the attack on Indian Parliament, the train service was resumed in January 2004. The train which earlier used to cross into Pakistan was decided to be terminated in Attari so that travelers could cross over to board a connecting train from Wagah on the Pakistan side after India accused Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of using the train to sendexplosives and instruments of terror.
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The terror-attack seems to have been timed carefully, coming as it does just aday prior to the visit of Pakistani Foreign Minister Kasuri to New Delhi to co-chair the India-Pakistan Joint Commission with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.
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