Indian High Speed Passenger train under deadly terror attack

An Indian passenger train derailed in eastern part of the country on Wednesday, killing four people after an explosion on the tracks.

Some 12 carriages of the Rajdhani Express, which was traveling from the capital New Delhi to the northeastern state of Assam, toppled over at around 2:00 am (2030 GMT) in Bihar state’s Saran district.

This type of fast passenger train is used by both Indians and foreign tourists and business travelers connecting major Indian cities.

The Rajdhani Express is operated by Indian Railways. Rajdhani means “The Capital” in Hindi. The Rajdhanis are among the fastest trains in India They get the highest priority on the Indian railway network.

According to Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Kumar, it appeared to be a case of sabotage. There was a blast on the track, which could have caused the derailment.”

Maoist rebels had earlier called for a strike in the area to protest against the security forces.

Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda said there was no confirmation about what caused the derailment.

A senior police officer, Superintendent Sudhir Kumar, said that a thorough investigation had been ordered into the incident, adding that a “technical fault” could also have been the cause.

If confirmed as an attack by the Maoists, it would be the first by the insurgents since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party came to power last month after an election victory over the ruling Congress.

Separatist insurgencies affect large swathes of India’s northeast, northwest and central regions, including the states of Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

Many of the rebels say they are fighting authorities for land, jobs and other rights for poor tribal groups. The Maoist insurgency has cost thousands of lives.