New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS): Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Wednesday appealed to railway officials to stay "vigilant" to foil any "nefarious" designs ahead of the Republic Day.

"Requesting all to be extra vigilant to foil nefarious designs of these anti-people elements trying to subvert system, dastardly inhuman acts," Prabhu said in a tweet.

Prabhu's remarks came after a 15-foot piece of rail was found on the track near Diva in Maharashtra late on Tuesday night. 

A major accident was averted as the drivers of Janashatabdi Express traced it and stopped the train on time. 

In a similar incident on Sunday night two stone slabs were found on the railway track between Sathajagat and Dalsinghsarai railway stations near Samastipur in Bihar.

In the last four months, three major train accidents occurred due to derailment.

At least 41 people died and over 60 were injured on Sunday when nine coaches of Hirakhand Express derailed near Kuneru station, 24 km from Rayagada in Odisha. 

The train was on its way to the Odisha capital Bhubaneswar from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.

On November 20, 2016, at least 149 people were killed and over 300 injured when 14 coaches of the Patna-Indore derailed near Pukhrayan, 50 km from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. 

In another incident, on December 28, at least two people were killed when the 15 coaches of the Sealdah-Ajmer express derailed near Rura station in Kanpur.