Kozhikode train fire | Kerala police weighing security implications of the arson attack on train

Kerala police are weighing the security implications of the arson attack inside a compartment of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train in Kozhikode late on April 2.

The Kerala police are weighing the security implications of the arson attack inside a compartment of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train in Kozhikode late on April 2.

Notably, law enforcement has not ruled out a terrorist motive. An official privy to the fast unfolding investigation says the arsonist appeared to have selected his targets randomly, a signature modus operandi that recalled terrorist strikes on public transport systems the world over.

He said malicious actors had often used fuel as a readily available means of attack to target critical infrastructure and public crowds. For now, the probe seemed centred around the attacker’s identity and the person’s motive.

The State police said nine persons sustained severe burns, and three of a family died when they jumped off the moving train in a panic to flee the fire. The dead included an infant.

Facial composite

The police have prepared a facial composite, a drawing based on eyewitnesses’ recollections of the attacker’s physiognomy, and broadcast the image on news television.

A law enforcer said facial composites were often flawed. But, such graphical representations have elicited public responses that have helped fast-track investigations through a “ruling out” process.