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Maoist rebels seize Indian train Maoist rebels seize Indian train
(21 minutes later)
Maoist rebels in eastern India have seized a passenger train and blown up a railway track and a school building, the police say. Maoist rebels in eastern India have seized a train and taken as many as 500 passengers hostage, police say.
The rebels have abducted the driver, his assistant and the guard after seizing the train in Jharkhand state. Up to 250 rebels boarded the train as it travelled through Jharkhand state and forced it to stop in the small town of Hegarah.
Unconfirmed reports say there could be several hundred people on the train. Local police told journalists that they planned to mount a rescue operation.
The rebels have called for a shut-down in Jharkhand on Wednesday in protest against the death of five people in the state in firing by security forces. The incident comes on the eve of the second round of voting in India's general election. The rebels have asked people to boycott the polls.
The BBC's Salman Ravi in Jharkhand says that the train, travelling between Barkakanta and Mughalsarai, was seized by a group of rebels at the Barwadih station in a remote part of Palamau district early on Wednesday. At least 17 people were killed in attacks blamed on Maoists during the first stage of the election last week.
The rebels ordered the driver to take the train to the nearby Hehegarha station, where it was stationary when last reports came in. The hostage-takers are reportedly protesting against the death of five villagers who were allegedly shot by paramilitary troops last week.
Protest The troops said the five were local Maoists, who were killed during a clash following an attack in which two soldiers died.
The rebels had also blown up a railway track near Untari railway station and a school building in Chatra district. Rescue operation
The rebels are protesting against the death of five villagers who were allegedly killed in firing by paramilitary troops last week. The BBC's Salman Ravi in Jharkhand says that the train, travelling between Barkakanta and Mughalsarai, was seized by a group of rebels at Barwadih station in a remote part of Palamau district early on Wednesday.
The troops alleged that the five were local Maoists, who were killed during a clash following the death of two soldiers in the Latehar area after a rebel attack. The rebels ordered the driver to take the train to nearby Hegarah station, where it was stationary when last reports came in.
This is not the first time rebels have seized a train in the area. They seized a train in March 2006, taking more than 40 passengers hostage, but freed them 12 hours later. "We are sending security forces to rescue the passengers," Sarvendu Tathagat, a local government official in Jharkhand, told Reuters news agency.
None of the passengers were hurt in the incident in Latehar, some 1,200km (750 miles) south-east of the Indian capital, Delhi. Earlier, the rebels also blew up a railway track near Untari railway station and a school building in Chatra district.
Jharkhand is rich in minerals and forest resources, but its people are among the poorest in India. The rebels have called for a shut-down in Jharkhand on Wednesday.
The rebels have a presence in 18 of the 22 districts in Jharkhand. This is not the first time rebels have seized a train in the area. In March 2006 they seized a train in Latehar, some 1,200km (750 miles) south-east of Delhi, taking more than 40 passengers hostage - but freed them 12 hours later.
Jharkhand is rich in minerals and forest resources, but its people are among the poorest in India. The rebels have a presence in 18 of the state's 22 districts.
Maoists operate in 182 districts in India, mainly in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.Maoists operate in 182 districts in India, mainly in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of poor peasants and landless workers.The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of poor peasants and landless workers.
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