Death toll reaches 65 in train accident as Maoist attack WB
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
New Delhi, May 28, IRNA -- Sixty-five passengers of a Maharashtra-bound express train were killed early Friday and 200 injured in a Maoist attack in Midnapur district of West Bengal state which led to derailment of 13 coaches.
Five of them were hit by a goods train coming from the opposite direction.
The bodies of the passengers were removed from the mangled remains of the ill-fated coaches of the Howrah-Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express and the injured taken out with the help of gas cutters, PTI reported quoting a South Eastern Railway spokesman.
"65 bodies have been recovered. The toll could go up," West Bengal Home Secretary Samar Ghosh said.
The incident occurred early morning when the train was running between Khemasoli and Sardiya stations.
In Kolkata, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Surojit Karpurokayastha said that according to preliminary investigation, fish plates were found removed at the derailment site.
Earlier, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said the derailment followed a blast apparently triggered by Maoists who are observing a 'black week'.
She announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of each of the dead and Rs 1 lakh for the injured.
Indian Air Force helicopters were pressed into service at the accident spot to airlift some of the injured to the hospitals.
South Eastern Railway spokesman Soumitra Majumdar said the train had 24 coaches.
After the explosion, 13 including 10 sleeper coaches, derailed of which five were hit by the goods train coming on the opposite track. The derailment took place at a spot, 150 kms from Kolkata.
An unreserved coach, the pantry car and luggage van also derailed, he said.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the Maoist attack on a train in West Bengal today, Railways are considering halting night operations in five Naxal-hit states.
"We are discussing the issue of suspending night operation during the night time in Orissa, Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh. A decision will be taken shortly," Railway Member (Traffic) Vivek Sahai said here Friday.
Maoists are observing "Black Week" in five states and railways have received intelligence inputs of serious threat to rail properties during this period.
This is the second Maoist attack on civilians this month. Naxals had blown up a civilian bus in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh on May 17, killing at least 36 people, including 12 Special Police Officers.
Meanwhile, President Pratibha Patil, who is in China, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident.
The Prime Minister announced Rs two lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
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