Chhattisgarh: Maoists set fire to engine of goods train in Dantewada

RAIPUR: Maoists in Dantewada set fire to the locomotive of a freight train on Tuesday night when it was carrying iron ore from Kirandul in Chhattisgarh to Visakhapatnam. Passenger trains between Jagdalpur and Kirandul have been suspended for two days.
Police said the Maoists struck between Bacheli and Bhansi in Dantewada, one of the ‘hypersensitive’ regions of the insurgency-hit district and just half a kilometre from a CRPF camp.

The driver, who escaped unhurt, told police that armed Maoists intercepted the train near pole number 435. It had been less than an hour since the train left Kirandul in the same district.
The Maoists told the engine driver and other workers to get down, snatched their mobile phones and walkie talkie and set the engine on fire.

The shipment of iron ore from Kirandul to Visakhapatnam, 400km away, is routine and Maoists often target the train or uproot tracks. Trains have to slow down while crossing these regions so that it’s easy for passengers and railway staff to take refuge or get off in case of an attack.
After the locomotive was torched, the line was disrupted and security forces rushed to the site. District Reserve Guards are on the spot to watch over the railway team clearing the line. The train has been taken to Bacheli railway station. A case has been registered with Bacheli police.