Chhattisgarh bus blast toll likely to rise

New Delhi, May 17 (ANI): Sources in the Union Home Ministry on Monday feared that the casualties of the IED blast in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada is likely to go high as the rescue and relief operations have been hampered due to bad light.

Security forces have launched a major rescue operation.

On Monday evening in one of the worst attack on civilians the Maoists blew up a private bus killing over 30 people.

The bus was on its way from Dantewada to Sukma when the incident took place near Chingawaram, over nine kilometers from Sukma.

The bus-CG17 SS 9295 was carrying 20 special police officers (SPO) and over 30 civilians.The SPOs were on their way to participate in a special recruitment drive.

The latest blast incident has taken place a day after the Maoists called for a 48 hour shutdown in five states-Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

The sources said the attack might have been a pre -planned one.

Reportedly, the Maoists also fired on the bus after the blast to ensure that nobody stays alive.. (ANI)