Pattaya Daily News

Published : May 28, 2010 :: 17:05:04 [ 1,555 views ]

Maoist rebels are suspected to have caused a devastating train derailment in India which caused the death of at least 65 people on Friday morning. Following the derailment of the passenger train a collision with a cargo train travelling in the opposite direction ensued.

India, the 28^th of May 2010 [PDN]: Following the derailment, which triggered a head-on collision with a cargo train, survivors tell of an almost 3 hour wait for emergency services to arrive. The location of the crash is believed to have hampered rescue efforts, the incident occurring in a remote region of India, approximately 150 kilometers west of Calcutta. The passenger train was travelling from Calcutta to the Mumbai suburb of Kurla when 13 cars derailed.

At present, Indian officials speculate that either an onboard explosion was responsible for the original derailment or an explosive device placed on the railway tracks. West Bengal police have allegedly arrested various members from the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities, a group thought to be closely affiliated to the Maoist rebels.

The region in which the train crash occurred is considered somewhat of a stronghold for the Indian Maoist rebels, known as Naxalites, who have stepped up attacks in recent months, ambushing a bus before killing 31 police officers and civilians in central India at the beginning of May.

The rebels, who have tapped into the rural poor’s growing anger at being left out of the country’s economic gains, are now present in 20 of the country’s 28 states and have an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 fighters, according to the Home Ministry.

Police, military and rescue services are currently still trying to free as many as 20 trapped passengers, whilst the death toll currently stands at 65 with over 200 more confirmed injuries. Helicopters have been brought in to help evacuate the injured to local hospitals, officials have stated.

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Type : World News
Story : John Weston
Photo : Internet

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