StellaWindsor21 at 20:43, 4 February 2026

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{{Short description|Train bombing at Chennai railway station}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox terrorist attack
| title = 2014 Chennai train bombing
| image =
| caption =
| location = [[Chennai Central railway station]], India
| target = [[Kaziranga Superfast Express|Guwahati–Bangalore Cantt. Superfast Express]] (S4 and S5 coaches)
| date = 1 May 2014
| type = [[Bombing]]
| fatalities = 1
| injuries = 14
| perpetrators = [[Students Islamic Movement of India]]<br/>[[Indian Mujahideen]]
}}
{{Terrorist attacks in India (since 2001)}}

The '''2014 Chennai train bombing''' is the explosion of two low-intensity bombs in the early hours of 1 May 2014, Thursday at [[Chennai Central railway station]]. The [[Kaziranga Superfast Express|Bangalore–Guwahati Kaziranga Superfast Express]] which came from [[Bangalore Cantonment railway station|Bangalore]] and was going towards [[Guwahati railway station|Guwahati]] was standing on platform 09 of [[Chennai Central railway station]], when two blasts occurred in two coaches S4 and S5. The bombing killed one female passenger and injured at least fourteen others.<ref name="IE1">{{cite news|title=LIVE: Twin blasts at Chennai Central Station kill woman, injure 9 others; SIT probe ordered, one detained|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/live-blast-at-chennai-central-station-10-feared-injured-reports/|accessdate=1 May 2014|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=1 May 2014}}</ref>

The [[Students' Islamic Movement of India|Students Islamic Movement of India]] claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it was in revenge for the removal of some Muslims from the train in 2012. Its affiliate the [[Indian Mujahideen]] is also suspected of involvement.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Incident Summary for GTDID: 201405010001 |url=https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/IncidentSummary.aspx?gtdid=201405010001 |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=[[Global Terrorism Database]]}}</ref>

==Attack==
The Guwahati-bound train from Bangalore, [[Guwahati–Bengaluru Cantt. Superfast Express|12509-Guwahati–Bangalore Kaziranga Express]], was scheduled to arrive at [[Chennai Central railway station|Chennai Central]] around 5:30 a.m. ([[Indian Standard Time|IST]]), but it had arrived late around 7:05 a.m. (IST). While the train was stationed at Platform 9 of the railway station, two bombs exploded at the buffer of S4 and S5 coaches at 7:15 a.m. (IST).<ref name="oi1">{{cite news|title=Chennai Blast: Pregnant woman, TCS employee from Andhra Pradesh dies|url=http://news.oneindia.in/india/chennai-blast-bangalore-guwahati-train-pregnant-woman-from-andhra-dies-1439651.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502031930/http://news.oneindia.in/india/chennai-blast-bangalore-guwahati-train-pregnant-woman-from-andhra-dies-1439651.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 May 2014|accessdate=1 May 2014|newspaper=One India|date=1 May 2014}}</ref><ref name="ibn1" /> Upon hearing the explosion, panicked passengers rushed out of the train.<ref name="IE1" /> One of the bombs had exploded under the seat of a 24-year-old woman,<ref name="teleuk1">{{cite news|title=Twin bomb blasts hit Indian train|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/10800234/Twin-bomb-blasts-hit-Indian-train.html|accessdate=1 May 2014|newspaper=Telegraph UK|date=1 May 2014}}</ref> who was employed with [[Tata Consultancy Services]] in Bangalore. She was the only person killed in the attack, was travelling to her home town [[Guntur]] in [[Andhra Pradesh]]. Of the fourteen injured passengers, five were admitted in serious condition at [[Government General Hospital, Chennai|Rajiv Gandhi Government Multi-speciality Hospital]].<ref name="lm1">{{cite news|title=Twin blasts on train at Chennai railway station kills passenger|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/DI61ecQr3qMMEf5YMBCtJJ/Two-blasts-at-Chennai-station-1-woman-dead-7-injured.html|accessdate=1 May 2014|newspaper=Livemint|date=1 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Chennai train blasts |url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Chennai-train-blasts-TCS-techie-killed-ISIs-role-suspected/articleshow/34484506.cms |newspaper= The Times of India |date= 1 May 2014 |accessdate= 1 May 2014}}</ref>

==Aftermath==
===Investigation===
The damaged bogies were detached and the train was searched by a bomb-disposal squad and was then allowed to carry on with its onward journey. Following the incident police have mounted a massive search operation in all the trains. The cause of explosion and device used for it were being probed. A suspect who had been detained by [[Tamil Nadu Police]] was found to be innocent.<ref name="ibn1">{{cite news|title=Two blasts in Bangalore-Guwahati Express at Chennai station, one dead, police confirm terror angle|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/two-blasts-in-bangaloreguwahati-express-at-chennai-station-one-dead-suspect-to-be-freed-sit-to-probe/468762-62-128.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501235859/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/two-blasts-in-bangaloreguwahati-express-at-chennai-station-one-dead-suspect-to-be-freed-sit-to-probe/468762-62-128.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 May 2014|accessdate=1 May 2014|newspaper=IBN Live|date=1 May 2014}}</ref>

An investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been ordered. A [[National Investigation Agency]] team was sent to Chennai to assist in the case.<ref name=IE1 /> Tamil Nadu Chief Minister [[Jayalalithaa]] ordered a CB-CID probe into the blasts.<ref name=IE2>{{cite news|title=Bangalore-Guwahati Express bomb blasts: Jayalalithaa orders CB-CID probe|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/bomb-blasts-on-train-jayalalithaa-orders-cb-cid-probe/|accessdate=1 May 2014|newspaper=The Indian Express|date=1 May 2014|agency=PTI}}</ref>

Initial investigation revealed that the bombs might have been planted in the train five to six hours before it blasted.<ref name="toi2">{{cite news|title=Chennai blasts suspect Rahman still at large|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Chennai-blasts-suspect-Rahman-still-at-large/articleshow/34548499.cms|accessdate=3 May 2014|newspaper=Times of India|date=3 May 2014}}</ref> Also, the devices used in the bomb were found to be similar to the one used in [[2013 Patna bombings|Patna rally bombing]] by [[Indian Mujahideen]] that occurred six months before.<ref name="hindu1">{{cite news|title=Chennai blasts probe: CCTV image provides first clue|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/chennai-blasts-probe-cctv-image-provides-first-clue/article5971263.ece|accessdate=3 May 2014|newspaper=The Hindu|date=3 May 2014}}</ref>

===Security measures===
Immediately after the blasts, security was tightened across the major crowded areas of the [[Tamil Nadu|state]].<ref name="lm1" /> Alerts have been sounded in the neighbouring state of [[Andhra Pradesh]], with police checking all major railway stations across the state.<ref name="et1">{{cite news|title=Security heightened at AP railway stations after Chennai bomb blasts|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/security-heightened-at-ap-railway-stations-after-chennai-bomb-blasts/articleshow/34474206.cms|accessdate=1 May 2014|newspaper=Economic Times|date=1 May 2014}}</ref> Also, a high security red alert has been declared in the capital city of [[New Delhi]].<ref name="dna1">{{cite news|title=Red alert in Delhi after Chennai blasts|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-red-alert-in-delhi-after-chennai-blasts-1984030|accessdate=1 May 2014|newspaper=DNA|date=1 May 2014}}</ref>

===Compensation===
The deceased identified as 24-year-old woman travelling from Bangalore to Vijayawada, had been sitting in the seat where the explosion occurred.<ref name=IE1 /><ref name="TOI1">{{cite news |title= 1 dead, 14 hurt in twin blasts at Chennai railway station |url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/1-dead-9-injured-in-explosion-at-Chennai-railway-station/articleshow/34457393.cms? |newspaper= The Times of India |date= 1 May 2014 |accessdate= 1 May 2014}}</ref> [[Minister of Railways (India)|Union railway minister]], [[Mallikarjun Kharge]] announced an ex-gratia of {{INR}} 1 [[lakh]] (100,000 Rupees, approximately US$1667) to the family of the dead woman, {{INR}} 25,000 for grievously injured and {{INR}} 5,000 for those with minor injuries. [[Tamil Nadu Chief Minister]] [[Jayalalithaa]] also announced a solatium of {{INR}} 100,000 to the family of the dead, {{INR}} 50,000 to those who suffered serious injuries and {{INR}} 25,000 to other injured people.<ref name="bp">{{cite web|title=1 dead, 14 injured in Twin Bomb Explosion at Chennai Railway Station|url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/05/1-dead-14-injured-in-twin-bomb-explosion-at-chennai-railway-station/|work=IANS|publisher=news.biharprabha.com|accessdate=1 May 2014}}</ref>

===Fake bomb report===
On the day following the bombing, an anonymous call about a bomb [[Express Avenue]] mall in [[Chennai]] was made, which resulted in closing of the mall for public for a few hours on 2 May and after searching the mall for suspicious objects, police declared it as a hoax.<ref name="ndtv1">{{cite web|title=Bomb Threat at Chennai Mall a Hoax: City Police|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/bomb-threat-at-chennai-mall-a-hoax-city-police-517296|publisher=NDTV|accessdate=3 May 2014}}</ref> Similar bomb threat calls were made to an education institution and a suburban railway station in Chennai on the day after the bombing, which prompted the police to issue warning against such activities. Law enforcement was kept on alert for a while following the explosion and subsequent threats.

==See also==
*[[Brahmaputra Mail train bombing]]
*[[2006 Mumbai train bombings]]
*[[Jnaneswari Express train derailment]]
*[[List of railway accidents and incidents in India]]
*[[List of terrorist incidents involving railway systems]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/IncidentSummary.aspx?gtdid=201405010001 Incident Summary] at the [[Global Terrorism Database]]

{{coord missing|Tamil Nadu}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chennai train bombing}}
[[Category:2014 murders in India]]
[[Category:Railway accidents in 2014]]
[[Category:Improvised explosive device bombings in 2014]]
[[Category:2010s in Chennai]]
[[Category:Train bombings in India]]
[[Category:May 2014 crimes in Asia]]
[[Category:May 2014 in India]]
[[Category:Railway accidents and incidents in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in India in 2014]]
[[Category:Crime in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorism in India]]
[[Category:Indian Mujahideen attacks]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2014]]

2014 Chennai train bombing - Revision history

StellaWindsor21 at 20:43, 4 February 2026