Kannur (Kerala) | Police on Friday launched an investigation after a passenger train struck an object placed on the tracks in this northern Kerala district, officials said.

The incident occurred around 3.30 am near Valapattanam railway station, when a train travelling from Thiruvananthapuram North to Bhavnagar hit a piece of cover-type lying on the track.

According to police, the locomotive pilot heard a loud noise and immediately alerted the station master at Valapattanam.

A check was promptly carried out, revealing that the train had struck part of an object.

Both the local police and the Railway Protection Force have launched an investigation to determine whether it was deliberately placed on the track. The train was briefly halted at Valapattanam before continuing its journey.