Kozhikode: Three persons - a woman, an infant, and a middle-aged man - were found dead on the railway tracks late on Sunday night after an unidentified man set afire a co-passenger onboard Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train on Sunday night, officials said. Nine persons suffered burns in the fire and are being treated at different hospitals around Kozhikode.
The deceased were identified as Rahmat, (43), a resident of Mattannur Palot Palli, his younger sister's daughter Sahara (2) and another woman whose identity is yet to be established, police said. The bodies were located after passengers complained that a woman and child were missing after the fire incident.
The bodies located between Elathur station and Korapuzha bridge were shifted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination. "We suspect the trio must have tried to get down from the moving train due to the fire or could have fell down in the melee caused by the fire," a police official said.
The attack was carried out by a man who was seen wearing a red shirt and a cap. He walked into the D1 compartment with two bottles of petrol and poured it on a passenger and set fire on the passenger on the train which was bound to Kannur crossed Elathur station, at around 9 pm, according to eyewitnesses.
"We first thought the fire broke out in the D1 and D2 compartments. This led to a commotion and few passengers pulled the train and the train stopped on Korapuzha Bridge. All passengers detrained and the fire was by then put out already," one of the passengers said.
Those who suffered burns include Anil Kumar (50), native of Kathirur, his wife Sajisha (47), son Advaid (21), Ashwati (29) native of Thrissur, Ruby (52) native of Thaliparam, native of Mattanur Rasik (27), native of Thaliparam Jothindranath (50), Prince (39) native of Thrissur, native of Kannur Prakashan (52). Five are undergoing treatment at Medical College, three at Baby Memorial hospital and one at Koilandi Taluk Hospital. No one suffered grievous burns, police said quoting doctors.
The suspect who was aged about 35-years fled the train when the train stopped on Korapuzha bridge. Railway Police and Kerala Police have launched a man hunt and are examining the surveillance CCTV camera footages to establish the suspect's identity. A physical search was carried out from Elathur to Kattila Peedika via Korapuzha.
