GUWAHATI, Aug 11: A major disaster was averted today when the New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express narrowly missed a powerful explosion which blew off a portion of the railway track just in front of it.

The high-speed train, however, suffered damages, with seven coaches, including the two engines derailing, as it approached the just-blown off track.

However, there was not a single casualty, though at least 200 passengers sustained major to minor injuries.The train had left Guwahati at 6 am and the blast took place near the Sarupeta railway station in the Rangiya-Bongaigaon section at about 7:31 am, railway sources here revealed.

While senior police and railway officials rushed to the spot, a special rescue train brought back the passengers to Guwahati by evening. The spot where the blast took place is about 112 km west of Guwahati.

Police suspect Bodo extremists are behind the blast, and though a massive manhunt has been launched, no arrests have been made till the filing of the report.

Police said the bomb, said to be a remote controlled device, must have been planted under the tracks between 7:10 am and 7:30 am, as the last patrolling party consisting of police and railway officials had checked that portion of the track at 6:30 am, around 40 minutes before the Northeast Express crossed. Two trains had passed by after that, the last one being a Delhi-bound train at 7:10 am.

The driver of the first engine of the two-engine Rajdhani Express is stated to have heard the sound of the explosion about 400 metres ahead of the train, soon after which the train arrived at the track-less portion.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.