Posts Tagged ‘Guwahati’
Written by admin on 12 July 2011
Guwahati, July 12 (IANS) The outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Tuesday offered indefinite ceasefire to pave the way for a permanent solution to more than 30 years of insurgency in Assam.
ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said in a statement Tuesday: ‘The ULFA, with a view to explore a lasting peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict, resolves to cease all forms of armed campaign for an indefinite period.’
However, ULFA’s elusive commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah and his band of followers, probably hiding somewhere along the Myanmar-China border, are still opposed to the peace talks.
Tags: Assam, Guwahati
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Written by admin on 11 July 2011
Guwahati, July 11 (IANS) A massive security alert was sounded Monday across Assam after the overnight separatist bombing that derailed a passenger train and left more than 100 people injured, 20 of them critically, officials said.
‘We have sounded a high alert across the state with security personnel deployed at vulnerable locations to thwart rebel attacks,’ Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told IANS.
‘We condemn such barbaric militant attacks like bombing trains or other such things targeting civilians,’ he added.
Police suspect militants of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) for the explosion at the Guwahati-Puri Express late Sunday near Ghograpara in western Assam’s Nalbari distict, about 70 km from the main city of Guwahati.
Four coaches of the train were derailed, trapping many passengers.
‘It was indeed a very powerful explosion and the bomb was placed on the track. Flexible wires and other materials used to trigger the explosion were recovered from the accident site,’ a senior police officer said requesting anonymity.
‘Forensic experts have collected material evidence from the site and only after examination we can be sure about the composition of the explosives,’ he said.
The train was bound for Puri in Bhubaneswar.
‘There was a loud explosion and it was total chaos soon after. The coach in which I was travelling skidded of the track and fell in a marshy land with waist deep water. Somehow we managed to come out of the coach,’ said Jiten Das, a passenger who was among those injured.
‘I sustained cut injuries on my head and arms, besides a wound in my chest.’
‘Four of the coaches derailed and one of the bogies skidded and went at least 20 metres from the track,’ Dhanmoni Das, a local who helped several of the injured come out of the train, told IANS.
‘We rescued more than 100 people and helped them reach the nearest hospitals with the help of bicycles, motorbikes and private vehicles,’ said Rubul Ali, another local who helped in the rescue operation.
The critically injured were shifted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. No militant groups have claimed responsibility for the attack.
‘We strongly suspect the NDFB to be behind the blast,’ the police officer said.
The NDFB is a group fighting for an independent homeland for the Bodo tribe’s people in western and northern Assam. A faction of the NDFB is observing a ceasefire with New Delhi, while another faction headed by jailed chairman Ranjan Daimary is still waging a war for independence.
Meanwhile, all incoming and outgoing trains to Assam have been suspended following the blast.
‘We are yet to retrieve the derailed bogies trapped in a marshy land a few metres away from the track. Until we repair the track, movement of trains would remain suspended,’ a railway official said.
Tags: Assam, Guwahati
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Written by admin on 10 July 2011
Guwahati, July 10 (IANS) At least 100 people were injured, 20 of them critically, when a powerful bomb ripped apart a passenger train late Sunday in India’s restive northeastern state of Assam, officials said.
No militant group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
A police spokesman said the explosion took place when the Guwahati-Puri Express was nearing Ghograpara in western Assam’s Nalbari distict, about 70 km from Assam’s main city of Guwahati. The blast took place around 8.30 pm.
Four coaches of the train derailed trapping scores of passengers, leaving many of them seriously injured.
‘Flexible wires and other materials used to trigger the explosion were recovered from the accident site,’ a senior police officer said.
The train was bound for Puri in Orissa.
‘There was a loud explosion and it was total chaos soon after. The coach in which I was travelling skidded of the track and fell in a marshy land with waist-deep water. Somehow we managed to come out of the coach,’ Jiten Das, a passenger who was among those injured, told IANS over telephone.
‘I sustained cuts in my head and arms, besides a chest injury.’
Four of the coaches derailed and one of the bogies skidded and went at least 20 meters from the track,’ Dhanmoni Das, a local who helped several of the injured come out of the train, told IANS.
‘We rescued more than 100 people and helped them reach the nearest hospitals with the help of bicycles, motorbikes, and private vehicles,’ said Rubul Ali, another local who helped in the rescue operation.
The critically injured were shifted to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital.
‘All medical help would be provided with teams of doctors and paramedics alerted to treat the injured passengers,’ Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told IANS.
Rescue trains with doctors and paramedics have since arrived at the accident site.
Both the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) are active in the region.
Meanwhile, all incoming and outgoing trains to Assam have been suspended following the blast.
‘Until we repair the track, movement of trains would remain suspended,’ a railway official said.
The accident comes on the day 14 coaches of the speeding Kalka Mail derailed in Uttar Pradesh, killing about 35 people and leaving at least 150 injured.
Tags: Assam, Guwahati
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Written by admin on 10 July 2011
Guwahati, July 10 (IANS) Separatists bombed a passenger train Sunday night leaving at least 50 people injured, several of them critically, in India’s restive northeastern state of Assam, officials said.
A police spokesman said preliminary reports indicate an explosion took place when the Guwahati-Puri Express was nearing Ghograpara in western Assam, about 70 km from Assam’s main city of Guwahati. The incident took place around 8.30 pm.
‘Four coaches of the train derailed trapping scores of passengers, leaving many of them seriously injured. We suspect it was an explosion,’ a senior police official.
The train was bound for Puri in Orissa.
‘There was a loud explosion and it was total chaos soon after. Four of the coaches derailed and one of the bogies skidded and went at least 20 meters from the track,’ Dhanmoni Das, a local who helped several of the injured come out of the train, told IANS.
Both the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) are active in the region.
The accident comes on the day 14 coaches of the speeding Kalka Mail derailed in Uttar Pradesh, killing about 35 people and leaving at least 150 injured.
Tags: Assam, Guwahati
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Written by admin on 10 July 2011
Guwahati, July 10 (IANS) Some coaches of the Guwahati-Puri Express derailed at Nalbari district in western Assam Sunday, officials said, adding that casualties were feared.
The accident occurred near Ghograpara at around 8.30 p.m. as the train was on its way to Puri.
Police and railway teams were rushing to the spot.
Police and railway officials said they were not sure whether the derailment was caused by a blast or sabotage by militants or a technical fault. Local villagers, however, claimed to have heard a loud explosion before the accident.
The accident comes on the day 14 coaches of the speeding Kalka Mail derailed in Uttar Pradesh, killing about 35 people and leaving at least 150 injured.
Tags: Assam, Guwahati
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Written by admin on 10 July 2011
Guwahati, July 10 (IANS) Some coaches of the Guwahati-Puri Express derailed at Nalbari district in western Assam Sunday, officials said, adding casualties were feared.
The accident occurred near Ghograpara at around 8.30 p.m. as the train was on its way to Puri.
Police and railway teams were rushing to the spot.
Tags: Assam, Guwahati
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