Around 2 pm, Chandan Sau, a hawker, spotted a blue bag lying abandoned on the platform.

Suspecting foul play, Sau immediately informed RPF officials who rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area with sand bunkers. The RPF dog squad was pressed into action and a sniffer dog detected the contents of the can as “explosive”.

The officials found two cans — one with a live IED and another filled with petrol — along with a match box, inside the bag. After the news of the explosives spread, top officers, including Additional Director General (Railways) Dilip Mitra, rushed to the spot. Officials of the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) took the bag to an isolated place near the Ganga opposite the new complex of Howrah station where it was defused at 7 pm.

According to a BDS official, there was a live circuit in a match box inside the can. The wires were also connected. However, there was no timer connected to the IED, said the official. The incident has left the state police rattled and concerned over the security aspect of the railway tracks in the state.

“Apparently, it was a powerful IED with live circuits. There were also splinters in the can. It could make a strong impact had it exploded. However, the exact magnitude or composition of the explosive will be ascertained only after chemical tests,” Mitra said.

The state government, meanwhile, may order a probe into incident.