The Hindu : Front Page : Naxalites blast train engine in Chhattisgarh

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Monday, Mar 06, 2006

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Front Page

Naxalites blast train engine in Chhattisgarh

Raipur: Naxalites on Sunday blasted a train engine and damaged a railway station in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, in an apparent attempt to stop export of iron ore from Bailadila. They also abducted half-a-dozen railway officials, police said.

However, no one was injured and the abducted officials were later released with a warning, police said.

About 50 naxalites came to the Bhansi railway station, about 500 km from here early morning after taking hostage all the railway staff present there and planted a landmine in the main building.

The mine, however, failed to detonate. The naxalites took hostage an engine driver, before decamping with two wireless sets and exploding the electric engine, police told PTI.

The engine and the platforms were badly damaged.

The naxalites later took away with them six of the railway staff to about half a kilometre but released them after warning them not to transport iron ore from that station or else face the consequences, police said.

Bhansi is located between the National Mineral Development Corporation mines at Kirandul and Waltior railway stations.

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