Thursday, July 28 2005 21:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Lucknow: At least ten people, including a woman, were killed and 80 others injured, 20 of them seriously, when a bomb tore through a compartment of Delhi-bound Shramjeevi Express train from Patna between Jaunpur and Sultanpur stations near Lucknow this evening (July 28, 2005).

Ten bodies were kept at nearby Badla hospital where 63 of the injured were brought before some of them being sent to other hospitals.

The blast took place near the toilet of the general compartment, two bogies from the engine, of the train at around 1715 hours (IST), railway officials said. Casualities were confined to the compartment, witnesses said.

Official sources said the injured have been admitted to various hospitals in Singramau and Badlapur while some of the seriously injured were shifted to Varanasi.

Efforts were on to identify the victims and relief and rescue operations were on in full swing. Buses were being used to take stranded train passengers to Sultanpur and other places, the sources said.

Railway Minister Laloo Prasad said in Patna that probe into the incident has begun to ascertain the nature of the blast. He did not rule out the possibility of a gas cylinder explosion.

Railway Board Chairman R K Singh said in New Delhi that it was not immediately clear if the explosion was caused by a bomb or some other material.

Director General of UP police Yashpal Singh said in Lucknow that a bomb disposal squad from Varanasi and forensic team from Agra have left for Jaunpur.