Police have released a portrait of a suspect who set fire to passengers on an express train from Alapuzha to Kannur in Kerala, India. The suspect boarded the train and sprayed petrol on fellow passengers before setting them alight. Eight passengers were admitted to hospital with injuries and three people were found dead on Elathur railway track. The suspect immediately pulled the emergency chain and escaped. The police created a portrait of the suspect, who was thought to have been admitted to Kannur Government Hospital, but CCTV footage confirmed that the person in the hospital was not involved in the arson incident. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called for swift action to arrest those involved in the incident.
image source, YEARS
Police today released the portrait of a mysterious person who set fire to fellow passengers in an express train from Alapuzha to Kannur in Kerala.
The police rushed there after receiving information that a person like the one in the picture was found in Kannur Government Hospital. But investigation revealed that the person seen on CCTV was not the person involved in the arson incident.
The express train departs from Alapuzha in Kerala at 2.55 pm and reaches Kannur at 10.55 pm. In this case, on the afternoon of April 2, as usual, the express train which left Alappuzha with passengers was going near Kozhikode.
An unidentified person who boarded the train earlier started spraying petrol on fellow passengers. Before they realize what he is doing, the mysterious person has set fire to a passenger. The other passengers, who had not expected his action at all, were shocked. Amid the tension among them, some more passengers were also injured in the fire.
Then the train’s emergency chain is immediately pulled. It is said that the time when the incident took place was around 9.45 pm and the train was about to reach Korabuzha bridge between Kozhikode and Kannur. Meanwhile, the people there told the police that the mysterious person who set fire to the passengers had escaped from the spot.
Those injured in the arson incident have been admitted to Kozhikode Government Hospital. According to ANI news agency, 8 people have been admitted to the hospital with fire injuries and the bodies of 3 people were lying on the Elathur railway track.
Passengers jumped on the tracks to save their lives
A passenger named Rahmat was traveling with his younger sister Jaseela and her one-year-old child at the time of the incident.
But Rahmat was shocked when a mysterious person set fire to the passengers and jumped from the train along with his younger sister and her one-year-old child to save the lives of their family.
Their bodies were found on the Elathur railway track near Kozhikode. According to the police, they received information about their bodies lying on the tracks an hour after the incident.
What do the police say?
image source, YEARS
In connection with this incident, the police from Palakkad South region have registered a case and are investigating.
“On the day of the incident, the police control center was informed at 9.25 pm. On the information we received, a mysterious person boarded the D1 compartment of train number 16307, sprayed some kind of liquid on the fellow passengers and set it on fire.
After that, the mysterious person immediately grabbed the emergency chain of the train and immediately escaped from there. Passengers traveling in the coach were injured in the incident,” ANI said, according to a police statement to news agency ANI.
After this incident of arson, Alappuzha – Kannur Express train started running again at 10.10 am, ANI said. The news agency mentioned.
The police are conducting serious investigation regarding this incident which has created a lot of excitement in Kerala itself.
Meanwhile, the police drew a portrait of the mysterious person who set the fire, based on the identification given by the eyewitnesses of the incident.
According to the identification in the portrait, the police got a tip-off that a person was found in Kannur Government Hospital.
On Sunday night, a person identified in the portrait was said to have arrived at Kannur Government Hospital for treatment. But on investigation, it was revealed by the police that it was not the mysterious person. CCTV footage of the hospital has confirmed that it is not the mysterious person involved in the arson incident.
Speaking to the press about the incident, the DGP of Kerala state. Anil Kant said, “A special investigation team will be appointed to investigate this arson incident.”
Pinarayi Vijayan expedited the investigation
image source, YEARS
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed his sympathy over the incident in the Kerala train and has instructed the police to take swift action in this regard.
“This incident has caused great pain and shock. I have informed the police to conduct a serious investigation in this regard.
A special investigation team will also be appointed for this purpose. Swift action will be taken to arrest those involved in this incident,” said Pinarayi Vijayan.
“Such meetings have never been held in Kerala before. This current incident has caused a lot of shock. It’s too scary to think about.
I have appealed to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take swift action and arrest the culprits involved,” Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said.
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