A blast in a local train triggered panic at the Matunga Road railway station on Wednesday afternoon, leaving a senior citizen with minor
injuries. However, the police later clarified that it was just a compressor explosion.
According to the police, an unidentified person was carrying a compressor that exploded in the third coach of a Borivali-Churchgate local train. The compressor was in a bag, which was kept on the luggage rake. The police investigations revealed that when the train reached the Matunga Road station at around 1.36
pm, the compressor exploded.
The sudden noisy blast led to panic amongst commuters travelling in the train, and on the platform. Panic-stricken people were seen running after hearing the sound of the blast. However, the passenger carrying the compressor fled the scene. The police and the security forces reached the scene of explosion and immediately evacuated the train after which the compartments were checked. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) was also pressed into service and checks were conducted with the help of sniffer dogs.
Meanwhile, Borivali resident Vinaykant Joshi (78) sustained minor injuries in the blast. The police said that a major tragedy was averted, as the local train was not in motion when the blast occurred. The police said that people tend to jump from a running train after any explosion takes place.
The policemen added that as the incident occurred during the afternoon hours when the rush is comparatively low, the level of panic was comparatively less.
An offence of negligence has been registered against an unidentified person in this regard, as travelling with things that might trigger explosions is an offence. The police is acquiring the details of the compressor to trace the missing accused in the case. Meanwhile, due to the explosion the local trains were running 20 minutes late, and the slow trains were diverted on the fast track. All the services were restored later.