WB Govt says Maoists hand suspected in train derailment

"Sabotage by Maoists is very much suspected. The place where the accident took place is their stronghold," West Bengal's Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen told PTI.

"Thirteen bogies jumped the rails. Four compartments were badly mangled. You can imagine how many passengers were travelling in those coaches," he said.

Asked about the death toll, Sen said five to ten bodies have been recovered so far and rescue operations were continuing particularly in the four coaches hit by the goods train.
He said that Additional Secretary of the Union Home Ministry, D R S Sen, enquired about the accident from him.

"The state government is in constant touch with the Railways," he added.