Naxals hold up passenger train

Ranchi, Mar 13 (UNI) The suspected naxals today captured a passenger train for defying their bandh call, sources said.

The BDM passenger train running between Mughalsarai and Barwadi was held between Hehegada and Kumandih stations of Dhanbad Eastern Central Railway division, they said.

Talking to UNI tonight, Dhanbad division railway spokesperson Amrendra Das said that the trains were running peacefully during the day but in the evening the naxals captured the passenger train which left Mughalsarai at around 1900 hrs and was on its way to Hehegada from Kumandih.

He said the driver and the guard could not be contacted as the naxals must have snatched their walky-talky and other communication equipments.

There was no news of any train accident on the route and it was difficult to reach there during the night as there was no road, he added.

Mr Das said driver of a goods tarin coming from the opposite direction tried to find out the reason but the naxals did not allow him to do so.

The driver of the goods train told that he could not see anything as the lights were off in the passenger train.

Meanwhile, the railway spokesperson said traffic on the route had been stopped and the real situation would only be known tomorrow morning.

The railways have also asked for help from district administration.

UNI XC SK VP0316