THRISSUR, December 6: Twisted metal, tiffin boxes, pens and other materials strewn in a pool of blood on the platform presented a grim picture of the impact of the explosion which occurred in a general compartment of the Chennai-Alappuzha express at the Thrissur station this morning.A correspondent who visited the spot found that the asbestos sheets of the railway platform had been blown off under the impact of the explosion, which reportedly occurred near the toilet of the compartment. The train, which arrives from Chennai here at 7 am, is much sought after by the passengers commutting to work from Thrissur to Ernakulam due to its convenient timing. Most of them were caught unawares as they were rushing to get a toehold in the crowded compartment to reach their work place.Soon after the explosion, panic-stricken passengers, including women and children, ran helter-skelter. One of the injured persons said that immediately after`the explosion, a thick blanket of smoke enveloped the platform, due to which many passengers were unable to alight. All the coaches, except the bogey in which the blast occurred, left for its onward journey to Alappuzha.
