Daily News

Jhargram/ Kolkata: At least 65 people were killed and over 200 were injured early Friday when the engine and 13 coaches of a Mumbai-bound passenger train derailed and were hit by a speeding goods train in West Bengal after Maoist sabotage, officials said.

The bodies of the passengers were removed from the mangled remains of the Howrah-Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express and the injured taken out with the help of gas cutters, a South Eastern Railway spokesman said. "Sixty-five bodies have been recovered. The toll could go up," West Bengal Home Secretary Samar Ghosh said.The incident occurred at 1:30 am when the train was running between Khemasoli and Sardiya stations, about 135 km from here, South Eastern Railway officials said.

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'.

"We suspect Maoist hand behind the blast," Member (Traffic) Railway Board Vivek Sahai said.

He said the driver of the train heard a loud explosion after which the train derailed. Railways are investigating if the tracks were tampered with, he said.

Five of the 13 derailed coaches fell on an adjacent track and were hit by a goods train coming from the opposite direction, Additional Superintendent of Police, Jhargram,

Mukesh Kumar said.

Indian Air Force helicopters were pressed into service at the accident spot to airlift some of the injured to the hospitals. Banerjee, who reached the accident spot, said a patrol engine had passed through the area half an hour earlier, but the timing of the blast proved disastrous with a portion of the line being blown away.

She announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the nearest relative of each of the dead and Rs 1 lakh for the injured.

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.