Kozhikode: Hours after a man allegedly set a fellow passenger on fire on board an express train and injured eight other passengers, three people, including a one-year-old child and a women, were found dead on the tracks close to the Elathur railway station. About 10:00 pm, the incident reportedly happened in the D1 compartment of the Alappuzha Kannur Main Executive Express train.
The bodies of a woman, a child, and a man were found on the tracks late on Sunday night, said a senior police official. According to reports, there was a fight during which one of the passengers was doused with fuel and set ablaze. According to Hindustan Times, the police retrieved a bag from the railway tracks that included two mobile phones, another container of petrol, and other items, and they did not completely rule out a terrorist connection.
Some passengers who attempted to put out the flames suffered burn wounds. Three ladies were among those injured. According to sources, among the injured passengers were Anilkumar from Thalasseri, his wife Sajisha, their son Advait, Ruby from Kannur, and Prince from Thrissur. At Elathur, the train was stopped, and the fire incident was reported to the railway authorities.
When the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train arrived at the Korapuzha railway bridge here at around 9.45 p.m. after crossing Kozhikode city, an unidentified man poured an ignitable liquid on a fellow passenger and set him on fire, causing at least eight people to sustain burn injuries, according to police.
After the event, the perpetrator quickly made his getaway while the injured were taken to hospitals after bystanders pushed the emergency chain.
A few passengers on the train that arrived in Kannur stated that a mother and a child were missing following the event.
An injured man kept hunting for a wife and a young child. We discovered the woman's shoes and mobile, a passenger at Kannur told the reporters.
The city police checked the tracks shortly after hearing about the missing people and discovered three bodies, including the woman, the child, and a middle-aged person. When they saw the fire, the police believe they either fell from the train or made an attempt to leave.
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