20 killed as train derails after blast by suspected Maoists

At least 20 passengers were killed and 150 wounded when suspected Maoists blasted the railroad in West Midnapore district early Friday track of the 13 coach of a Mumbai-bound express train, five of which were hit by a speed freight train.

Twenty of the bodies were found the distorted coaches of Howrah-Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express after 13 coaches derail by five places an adjacent track, Additional Superintendent of Police, Jhargram, Mukesh Kumar said.

In New Delhi, Union Home desk G.K. Pillai told PTI that 15 passengers were killed and 150 injured, and the toll might go up.

"We have a supposed Maoist hand behind the explosion," Vivek Sahai, said the Member (Traffic), Railway Board.

The bang happened at 1:30 when the train ran flanked by Khemasoli and Sardiya station, about 135 km from here, "said South Eastern Railway officials.

SER PRO Soumitra Majumdar said that the Airport Express had in all 24 buses. After the bang derailed 13 counting 10 sleeper coach, five of which were hit by freight train pending on the conflicting track.

An brazen exercise, pantry car and luggage van also track, he said.

Railway officials used gas harvester to turn trapped passengers and bodies from the distorted leftovers of the exaggerated buses. Passengers belongings lay strewn dotted on the tracks.

Angry passengers said they first sign of relief came only around 5 am, three and half hours after the event.

Nine buses were injured train the wounded and the other passengers to Kharagpur where they were hospitalized.

Mr. Sahai said that the push had been in get in touch with with the Indian Air Force for passengers who were gravely injured.

Anti-Maoist armed forces were on site and help police and rescue workers in extricating bodies from four broken sleeper coaches, S-5, S 6, S 7 and S-8.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee at home. She announce Rs 5 lakh for the relatives of each dead and Rs one lakh for the injured.

Senior railway officials, counting Chairman Railway SS Khurana and DG RPF ambitious to the site.

A relief train left Kharagpur with a team of 12 doctors and 20 paramedics are also two doctors from Kalaikunda airbase, officials said.

Helplines have been set up at Kharagpur - (0322) 255751 and 255735, Howrah - (033) 26382217, in adding to a toll-free number 10722nd

Associated armed forces have also been recognized at Tatanagar (0657) 2290324, 2290074, 2290382, of Rourkela (0661) 2511155, Chakradharpur (06587) 238072 and Jharsuguda (06,445) 270977.