South Asia Times News Bulletin

Suspected Maoists blew away a portion of railway tracks in the wee hours Monday near in Rourkela causing derailment of a goods train and disruption of train services on the Howrah-Mumbai route.
A portion of the railway track at a place between Bhalulata and Jareikela, about 30 km from Rourkela, was blown up by suspected Maoists at 1 am leading to derailment of two wagons of a goods train, Rourkela railway station manager SK Panda told.

However, there have been no reports of injury or casualty in the incident.

Following the blast, all trains on the Howrah-Mumbai route have been held up at different stations, Panda said, adding that explosives might also have been planted on the up-line of the route.

Maoists had Sunday called a 72-hour bandh in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh to protest against a proposed all-out offensive "Operation Green Hunt" against them by the Centre.