Green Energy
Now, mind you, if it were traveling through a Muslim area no terrorism would be suspected.
MSNBC:
Sabotage suspected in collision near stronghold of Maoist rebels
By Bappa Majumdar
updated 19 minutes ago
NEW DELHI - Maoist rebels are suspected of sabotaging a high-speed train in eastern India on Friday, killing at least 65 people after it smashed into the path of a goods train, officials said.
Local television showed the mangled wreckage of capsized carriages across the tracks and the death toll could rise as many passengers were still trapped. At least 104 people were injured.
"So far we have recovered 40 bodies but the toll will rise further," N.S. Nigam, a senior local government official, told Reuters. Media reports quoting government officials said at least 65 people were killed.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said a bomb had hit the train, but police said they were also looking at other sabotage methods such as the removal of the tracks' "fish plates".
"From whatever I have been told the apprehension is the Maoists were involved," Banerjee said.
The crash occurred in West Bengal state in an area known to be a stronghold of Maoist rebels. Maoists, who say they are fighting for the rights of the poor and landless, have attacked trains in the past and have stepped up attacks in recent months.
"The driver heard a loud noise which indicates there could be a blast. A detail investiogation will reveal more, but definitely there was lot of tinkering done to the tracks," Vivek Sahay, a senior railway offical, told reporters.
"It was definitely sabotage."
The Maoists number thousands of fighters across swathes of eastern and central India. In April, 76 police were killed in an ambush in one of the heaviest tolls in years.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the insurgency as India's biggest internal security challenge and his Congress-led government has been under increasing political pressure to deal with the insurgents.
Trapped passengers
The passenger train, which was going to Mumbai from the eastern metropolis of Kolkata in West Bengal state, was derailed in the state's Jhargram area at around 1:30 a.m. (2000 GMT).
"The cries of women and children from inside the compartments have died down. They (railway staff) are still struggling to cut through metal and bring out those trapped inside," Amitava Rath, a local journalist at the scene of the crash, told Reuters.
A reporter of the Telegraph newspaper described a scene of chaos and panic at the site. "Rescuers are struggling to save the survivors and get the bodies out," Naresh Jana told Reuters.
"I can see body parts hanging out of the compartments and under the wheels. I can hear people, women, crying for help from inside the affected coaches."
The incident comes days after a passenger airliner crashed in southern India, killing 158 people, underscoring safety issues and concern that India's ageing infrastructure was failing to keep pace with an economic boom.
The Maoists had called a "black week" to condemn what they call police atrocities against innocent villagers and for an immediate halt to an armed campaign against them in India.
In March, police suspected their hand in the derailment of India's most prestigious high-speed Rajdhani Express. Maoists have also taken over trains in past years in a show of strength, holding them for hours.
The rebels, who often attack police, government buildings and infrastructure such as railway stations, have in recent months stepped up attacks in response to a government security offensive to clear them out of their jungle bases.
The decades-old movement is now present in a third of the country. They are mostly spread in rural pockets of 20 of India's 28 states and hurt potential business worth billions of dollars.
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Green Energy
India train blast kills scores; toll to rise
Now, mind you, if it were traveling through a Muslim area no terrorism would be suspected.
MSNBC:
Sabotage suspected in collision near stronghold of Maoist rebels
By Bappa Majumdar
updated 19 minutes ago
NEW DELHI - Maoist rebels are suspected of sabotaging a high-speed train in eastern India on Friday, killing at least 65 people after it smashed into the path of a goods train, officials said.
Local television showed the mangled wreckage of capsized carriages across the tracks and the death toll could rise as many passengers were still trapped. At least 104 people were injured.
"So far we have recovered 40 bodies but the toll will rise further," N.S. Nigam, a senior local government official, told Reuters. Media reports quoting government officials said at least 65 people were killed.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said a bomb had hit the train, but police said they were also looking at other sabotage methods such as the removal of the tracks' "fish plates".
"From whatever I have been told the apprehension is the Maoists were involved," Banerjee said.
The crash occurred in West Bengal state in an area known to be a stronghold of Maoist rebels. Maoists, who say they are fighting for the rights of the poor and landless, have attacked trains in the past and have stepped up attacks in recent months.
"The driver heard a loud noise which indicates there could be a blast. A detail investiogation will reveal more, but definitely there was lot of tinkering done to the tracks," Vivek Sahay, a senior railway offical, told reporters.
"It was definitely sabotage."
The Maoists number thousands of fighters across swathes of eastern and central India. In April, 76 police were killed in an ambush in one of the heaviest tolls in years.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the insurgency as India's biggest internal security challenge and his Congress-led government has been under increasing political pressure to deal with the insurgents.
Trapped passengers
The passenger train, which was going to Mumbai from the eastern metropolis of Kolkata in West Bengal state, was derailed in the state's Jhargram area at around 1:30 a.m. (2000 GMT).
"The cries of women and children from inside the compartments have died down. They (railway staff) are still struggling to cut through metal and bring out those trapped inside," Amitava Rath, a local journalist at the scene of the crash, told Reuters.
A reporter of the Telegraph newspaper described a scene of chaos and panic at the site. "Rescuers are struggling to save the survivors and get the bodies out," Naresh Jana told Reuters.
"I can see body parts hanging out of the compartments and under the wheels. I can hear people, women, crying for help from inside the affected coaches."
The incident comes days after a passenger airliner crashed in southern India, killing 158 people, underscoring safety issues and concern that India's ageing infrastructure was failing to keep pace with an economic boom.
The Maoists had called a "black week" to condemn what they call police atrocities against innocent villagers and for an immediate halt to an armed campaign against them in India.
In March, police suspected their hand in the derailment of India's most prestigious high-speed Rajdhani Express. Maoists have also taken over trains in past years in a show of strength, holding them for hours.
The rebels, who often attack police, government buildings and infrastructure such as railway stations, have in recent months stepped up attacks in response to a government security offensive to clear them out of their jungle bases.
The decades-old movement is now present in a third of the country. They are mostly spread in rural pockets of 20 of India's 28 states and hurt potential business worth billions of dollars.
- Spain: Sabotage Suspected In High-speed Train Stoppage
Spain: Sabotage suspected in high-speed train stoppage MADRID (AP) — Spain’s deputy prime minister says fiber-optic cables crucial for high-speed train safety may have been cut by a saboteur or saboteurs, interrupting train service in the northeastern...
- Train Travelling At Least 30 Miles Above The Speed Limit At Time It Derailed - Engineer Has Lawyer Present, Refuses To Talk To Police
From Yahoo: PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The engineer at the controls of an Amtrak train that hurtled off the tracks while rounding a sharp curve refused to talk to police Wednesday as the death toll climbed to seven with the discovery of another body in the...
- At Least 20 Killed In Train Derailment In Spain: Reports
Now isn’t that interesting. In france in the last week or so there have been two train derailments, one having passengers and another containing nuclear waste. Both are thought to be sabotage. In Canada we had a very very serious train derailment that...
- Train Derailment In Russia Was A Terrorist Attack
Interesing how the Russians have no problem labeling a terrorist attack a terrorist attack. From the LA Times: Bomb caused derailment, Russian officials say ...
- Spanish Subway Train Going Twice Normal Speed
Specualtion is the driver has passed out or become incapacitated in some way: VALENCIA, Spain - A train that derailed and killed 41 people in Spain's worst subway accident was traveling at twice the normal speed, a government official said Tuesday....