At least 30 killed in attack on Indian train

At least 30 people have died after a crowd of angry Muslims set fire to a train carrying Hindu activists in western India today.

Indian officials said at least 2,000 people surrounded the train as it was leaving Godhra, the commercial capital of Gujarat state. There were about 75 people on board the train, which was completely gutted in the blaze, and officials fear the death toll could climb higher.

Officials said the Muslims attacked the train at around 6.30am local time after becoming enraged by slogans chanted by the Hindus on board. The initially began throwing stones at the carriages before setting them alight.

The town of Godhra has a 30% Muslim population and history of frequent clashes between Muslims and Hindus.

The train set alight this morning was carrying activists from a Hindu nationalist organisation which wants to build a temple on the site of a disputed 16th century mosque in Ayodhya, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. That mosque was demolished by Hindus in 1992, sparking nationwide riots which left 2,000 people dead. Those killed in this morning’s attack were members of a group of volunteers who had gone to Ayodhya to show support for the construction of the Hindu temple.