Maoist blast derails train in West Bengal, 20 killed, over 150 injured
By ANIFriday, May 28, 2010
Jhargram (West Bengal), May 28 (ANI): At least 20 people were killed and over 150 injured when 13 bogies of Mumbai bound Howrah-Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express train was derailed Friday morning.
Railway officials said the accident took place after suspected Maoists triggered several blasts on the rail route.
Railway officials also confirmed the blast at 1:30 am, when the train was between Khemasoli and Sardiya stations, about 135 kilometres from Kolkata.
Five of the derailed coaches of the ill fated train toppled over to the adjacent railway track and were hit by another goods train which was passing-by, Additional Superintendent of Police, Jhargram, Mukesh Kumar said.
“We suspect Maoist hand behind the blast,” Vivek Sahai, Member (Traffic), Railway Board, said.
Sahai also said that the Indian Railway is in touch with the Indian Air Force to airlift seriously injured passengers.
In New Delhi, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai confirmed the death of 15 people, saying the toll might go up.
Relief and rescue work is continuing at war scale on the accident site. A relief train has left from Kharagpur with a team of 12 doctors and 20 paramedics. Army has also been called in for rescue operation and a chopper with a team of doctors and essential relief materials from Kalaikunda airbase has also been pressed into service.
Television images showed rescue workers using gas cutters to extricate trapped passengers and bodies from the mangled coaches of the express train.
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee along with several senior officials, including Railway Board Chairman S S Khurana have reached the spot.
Banerjee has announced an ex-gratia of five lakh rupees for the next of kin of each of the dead and one lakh for the injured.
The Indian Railway has announced several helplines:
Helplines have been set up at Kharagpur - (0322) 255751 and 255735, Howrah - (033) 26382217, besides a toll free number 10722.
Helplines have also been set up at Tatanagar (0657) 2290324, 2290074, 2290382, at Rourkela (0661) 2511155, Chakradharpur (06587) 238072 and Jharsuguda (06445) 270977. (ANI)
