14 die in Indian 'own goal' bomb blast

A blast killed at least 14 people in a house in eastern India where crude bombs were being assembled.

The identities of the victims were not immediately known but police in West Bengal state were investigating links with an outlawed extremist group that has been active in the area, said Jayanta Basu, the district police superintendent.

An unknown number of people were making crude bombs in the house in the village of Dakhal Bati, 95 miles north of Calcutta, when the explosion occurred last night, said Chayan Mukherjee, the state’s deputy inspector general of police.

Six people, including two women, were killed instantly in the blast, which caused the house to collapse, he said.

The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, where eight others died later due to injuries from the explosion, Mukherjee said.

Rebels of the People’s War Group, who draw inspiration from Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, are active in the region.

They mostly target rich landowners, accusing them of exploiting landless farm workers. They also attack police and officials, accusing them of collusion with landowners.

The rebels are active in five states in India, with West Bengal one of their oldest areas of operation. More than 6,000 people have died since the group began fighting in 1981.