An IED explosion triggered by Red Terrorists near Renjda, in the Bimalgarh area of Odisha’s Sundargarh district, resulted in the death of a railway employee and serious injuries to another. The explosion followed a prior incident late on August 2 night when Red Terrorists blew up a section of railway tracks.
The deceased has been identified as 37-year-old Itua Oram, a keyman with Indian Railways, residing in Bisra. His colleague, Budhram Munda, sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment. The blast caused significant panic in the vicinity and disrupted rail services. Oram’s body has been transported to the mortuary at RGH hospital.
Chief Minister expresses condolences, Announces Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia payment
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of railway employee Itua Oram, who lost his life in the unexpected IED blast near the Odisha-Jharkhand border while on duty.
In a social media post, the Chief Minister extended heartfelt condolences to Oram’s family and assured them of the state government’s support during this difficult time.
ଓଡ଼ିଶା ଝାଡ଼ଖଣ୍ଡ ସୀମାରେ ଏକ ଅପ୍ରତ୍ୟାଶିତ IED ବିସ୍ଫୋରଣରେ ଭାରତୀୟ ରେଳରେ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟରତ କି-ମ୍ୟାନ୍ ଇଟୁଆ ଓରାମଙ୍କ ଦୁଃଖଦ ପ୍ରାଣହାନି ବିଷୟରେ ଜାଣି ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ଶ୍ରୀ @MohanMOdisha ଗଭୀର ଦୁଃଖ ପ୍ରକାଶ କରିବା ସହ ତାଙ୍କ ପରିବାରବର୍ଗଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ସମବେଦନା ଜଣାଇଛନ୍ତି । ଏହାସହ ମୃତକଙ୍କ ପରିବାରର ନିକଟତମ ଆତ୍ମୀୟଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ…
— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) August 3, 2025
In response to the incident, CM Majhi announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF). He emphasised that the state stands firmly with the victim’s family and will provide all necessary assistance.
Red terrorists detonate railway track
On the last night of the Maoist-observed’ Shaheed Saptah’ (Martyrs’ Week), which ran from July 28 to August 3, Maoists detonated a significant blast, destroying a section of railway track along the Odisha-Jharkhand border. This incident occurred in the dense Saranda forest between Karampada (Jharkhand) and Renjda (Odisha), halting train operations on that route.
The explosion, which took place in the Bimalgarh railway section, caused extensive damage to the tracks. Fortunately, no train was on the tracks at the time of the blast, preventing a larger tragedy. The area is known for Maoist activity and has witnessed similar incidents in the past.
Joint forces launch massive search in maoist-hit saranda forest
Following the blast, train operations on the affected section were immediately suspended. In response, joint teams from Odisha Police, Jharkhand Police, the CRPF, and the elite Jharkhand Jaguars have initiated extensive search and combing operations in the Saranda forest region. Bomb disposal squads have also been deployed to check for additional explosives along the railway tracks.
Notably, a few months ago, explosives were stolen from Banko under the Balang Police Station limits. Since then, Maoist activities have intensified along the Odisha-Jharkhand border, leading to multiple IED explosions that threaten both civilians and wildlife. During a combing operation after the explosives theft, a CRPF jawan was killed and another critically injured, while two elephants lost their lives in separate IED blasts set by Red Terrorists.
Both Karampada (Jharkhand) and Renjda (Odisha) railway stations are situated in border areas that are highly sensitive to Maoist insurgency. This latest attack occurs amid a rise in Maoist propaganda, with posters and banners recently spotted in various locations across Odisha’s Malkangiri and Rayagada districts, as well as in parts of Telangana and Jharkhand.
In light of the observance of “Shaheed Saptah” (Martyrs’ Week), a high alert had already been issued in Odisha’s border districts, including Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, and Kandhamal. The explosion near Karampada is being regarded as one of the most significant acts of violence by Red Terrorists during this week-long observance.
