1 killed, 2 injured after being hit by piece of rail track in Bihar

One person was killed and two others were injured after being hit today by a 10-metre-long piece of railway track inside a compartment of a train passing through Bihar's Lakhisarai district, the Railway officials said.

The Railways have not ruled out a "sabotage" and have ordered an inquiry into the incident which took place at about 3:30 am, shortly after the Gorakhpur-bound Maurya Express had crossed Bansipur station, they said.

"A video footage shows a 10-metre-long piece of railway track flowing inside a general compartment. Three persons were struck by the huge piece of metal, killing one while the remaining two have been referred to the PMCH hospital in Patna," East Central Railway Chief PRO Rajesh Kumar told PTI.

"It is an unusual incident and we cannot rule out the possibility of a sabotage. The incident has taken place in an area that has been hit by insurgency. Moreover, it is very unusual for a piece of metal, weighing about 600 kg, to fly two metres above the ground level," he said.

Chief Safety Commissioner, ECR, P K Acharya will file a report on the incident on the basis of which further course of action will be decided, the PRO said.

Normal rail traffic has been restored on the Kiul-Jhajha section which was initially suspended for an hour as a precautionary measure.

Senior railway officials, along with the police, are camping at the site of the incident for investigations, the CPRO said.