Manoharpur (Jharkhand):
Security officials are worried about the rising threat of Naxals, after two people died in a Jharkhand train attack.
The government has described Maoists as terrorists but are they prepared to handle security for the coming elections.
Naxals targetting train passengers is a first even by Jharkhand standards.
The landmine blast triggered by Maoists on the railway tracks in Manoharpur, on the Jharkhand-Orissa border, caused eight bogies of the Tata-Bilaspur passenger train to derail. Two people died and 47 others were injured.
The mangled heap of steel trapped some passengers, and gas cutter were used through the night to rescue people.
"At least 40 kg of explosives was used to trigger the landmine blast," said Manoj Kumar Mishra, DIG, Kolhan Range, Jharkhand.
Over the past year, railways have become a prime Naxal target, especially in Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. But in the past, Naxals have not been known to target passengers in any way.
Jharkhand goes to polls next month. The Election Commission had asked for a five-phase polling schedule to counter Naxal violence, but it seems that a lot needs to be done to ensure that elections go off smoothly.