Extremists blow up railway installation

Patna, Apr 9 (UNI) CPI(Maoist) activists blew up the Banshinala halt station in Gaya-Koderma section under Dhanbad division of East Central Railway (ECR) and took hostage some of the railway employees of the station hostage last night, officials today said.

CPRO of the East Central Railways(ECR) A K Chandra said the extremists swooped on the halt station at Banshinala at around 0040 hours midnight last night and blew up the building at about 0200 hours after taking four railway employees of the station hostge.

The extremists also damaged railway track near the halt. Later they released the employees, he added.

Mr Chandra said the damaged railway track was being repaired.

The extremists had given Magadh bandh call since April 8 midnight till April 9 midnight in protest against the arrest of their leaders, Arjun Singh and Binda Singh.

The CPRO said the railway administration had already diverted the routes of 25 express and mail trains and had cancelled plying of 17 pssenger trains on Mughalsarai-Gaya Grand Chord section, following the bandh call.

UNI BNG-RS KK SK RN1056