Three people were killed and many suffered burn injuries after an unidentified person poured petrol on co-passengers and set them afire inside the D-1 coach of the Alapuzha-Kannur Express around 9.50 pm on Sunday after the train left Kozhikode railway station.
Police has police recovered the assailant’s visuals recovered from a CCTV footage of a nearby house and suspected the incident to be a well-planned attack.
Union Home Ministry is examining the details of the incident. It is learnt that the probe is likely to be handed over to NIA in view of the terrorist angle.
Handwritten notes in English and Hindi have been recovered from a bag left behind by the attacker. Eyewitnesses said the man appeared to be a Hindi speaker.
After spraying petrol indiscriminately on fellow passengers and setting fire, the man pulled the train’s chain and escaped, believed to be with the help of others waiting on a bike.
The attacker did his act when the train was passing through a bridge to ensure maximum destruction.
