Patna, June 27 : In a shocking incident, passengers of the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Duronto Express were looted near Gaya, Bihar, in the early hours of Friday.

According to an official of the Gaya Government Railway Police (GRP), a group of unidentified robbers targeted at least five coaches of the train, stealing bags, mobile phones, laptops, and other valuables from passengers.

After looting, the miscreants pulled the emergency chain between Paraiya and Kastha stations on the Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU)-Gaya railway section around 2 a.m., bringing the train to a halt for over half an hour before escaping under the cover of darkness.

Several passengers reported that purses, mobiles and laptops of at least 12 of them were stolen during the incident, causing panic.

The passengers claimed that a few people were roaming on Thursday night when the train departed from DDU railway station.

"Shockingly, there were no railway protection force personnel patrolling in the coaches for the safety of the passengers," said a passenger at Gaya Railway Station.

The incident sparked outrage as angry passengers protested at Gaya Railway Station and demanded the recovery of their looted valuables.

Upon receiving information, railway police and local Paraiya police rushed to the spot and began their investigation.

A special team led by the Railway DSP has been formed to track down the culprits.

During the preliminary investigation, several empty bags were recovered near the tracks, indicating that the thieves had stolen the contents before discarding the bags.

Police suspect the involvement of a well-organised gang in the incident.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered at the Gaya GRP police station regarding the theft.

Notably, two months ago, a similar incident was reported from the same Duronto Express near Tankuppa station on the Gaya-Koderma railway section.

/IANS