Ranchi, April 22 (Inditop) Around 200 Maoist rebels hijacked a train carrying over 400 passengers in Jharkhand’s Latehar district Wednesday, a day ahead of the second phase of Lok Sabha polls, police said. Security forces scrambled for helicopters to survey the stranded train, prior to mounting a rescue operation.
The train going from Barkakana to Mughalsarai was hijacked by the militants at Hehegada railway station.
“We have dispatched forces to rescue the train and ensure safe release of the passengers,” Latehar Deputy Commissioner of Police Sarvendu Tathagat told IANS on phone.
Police sources said an aerial survey of the area would be undertaken by three helicopters before the launch of an operation to rescue the passengers.
Eighteen people, including 10 security personnel, were killed in Maoist violence in the first phase of polls in the same district April 16.
rounak