Dewana, India – Leaders of India and Pakistan pressed ahead Monday with their peace process, hours after twin bombs – apparently intended to disrupt their relations – sparked a fire that killed 67 people aboard a train that links the two rivals.
The fire destroyed two coaches on the Samjhauta Express, about an hour after the train left New Delhi on its way to the Pakistan border. Officials said the attack was timed ahead of the arrival of Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri, who was expected today in the Indian capital.
“This is an attempt to derail the improving relationship between India and Pakistan,” Railway Minister Laloo Prasad said.
Pakistan quickly decried the attack, and Indian officials took pains to avoid laying any quick blame. Each side appeared to reach out across the border.
A Home Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said no suspects had been ruled out – from Kashmiri separatists to Hindu extremists.
Authorities say two suitcases packed with crude unexploded bombs and bottles of gasoline were found in undamaged train cars, indicating the fire had been sparked by similar devices.
Witnesses described a horrific scene as the train stopped on an isolated stretch of railway near the village of Dewana, about 50 miles north of New Delhi. The train’s driver apparently didn’t realize what was happening in the seconds after the blasts, until the assistant station manager in Dewana saw fire shooting from the cars as they sped past.
As on most Indian trains, the windows of many cars have security bars, sealing in many victims, and officials said that at least one door was fused shut by the heat.
