Indian train blast death toll up to six

A bomb blast ripped through two carriages of a passenger train in eastern India today, killing at least six people and injuring 53 others, officials said.

The bomb had been planted on one of the carriages of the Haldibari Passenger Express, T Rabha, a spokesman for Northeastern Railways, said.

The explosion occurred near Belacoba train station, about 345 miles north of Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, Rabha said.

No one has immediately claimed responsibility.

Several Maoist groups are active in the area, but they rarely target civilians.

Prasad Ranjan Roy, Home Secretary of West Bengal state, told reporters that initial suspicion pointed to involvement of either a local Maoist group or separatist militants from neighbouring Assam state.

At least six passengers died on the scene and 53 others were injured, railway official Rabha said.

The toll could climb because some of the injured were in serious condition, Rabha said.

Indian television stations cited local sources as putting the death toll at 12, but Inspector General of Police Raj Kanojia said those reports have yet to be confirmed.

Belacoba is a remote town, and information from the scene of explosion was trickling in slowly, Kanojia said. The blast took place around 6:20 pm, he said.