Twenty one burned to death in jobs fight

At least 21 people have been burned to death in a fight over jobs in eastern India.

Police said two rival unions had been arguing over jobs at a tea garden in West Bengal when an employee’s home was set ablaze.

“At least 21 bodies have been pulled out of the house. The bodies are badly charred and have not been identified,” said Chayan Mukherjee, inspector general of police in Jalpaiguri.

Siddnath Gupta, a top police official in the area, said some 106 people, including 25 women, had been arrested.

He said tensions at the Dalgaon tea estate in Jalpaiguri had been mounting for days. Rival worker groups also clashed and set houses on fire on Monday, Gupta said.