Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Monday sent a message to his
Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee to express profound grief and
sincere condolences over the tragic loss of lives in the bomb
attacks on a train in northern India.
The attacks on the Samjhauta Express or Friendship Train between
India and Pakistan, which took place earlier Monday near Panipat,
in India's Haryana state, were reportedly conducted with improvised
explosive devices.
Over 60 passengers, including Pakistani nationals, were feared
killed in the attacks. Most of the passengers died of burns or
suffocated Scores of other passengers were injured, 20 of them
critically, and were rushed to a nearby hospital.
Police said the death toll could rise as some of the injured
were in critical condition.
Fire fighters rushed to the spot and spent more than two hours
putting out the fire. The police found improvised explosive devices
in the two coaches and recovered a suitcase from another coach of
the train, in which two more improvised explosive devices were
kept.
The Friendship train left Delhi Railway Station late Sunday
night and was on its way to Atari -- the last station on the Indian
side of the border, just 30 kilometers from the Pakistani city of
Lahore.
Most passengers in the train were Pakistani nationals.
(Xinhua News Agency February 20, 2007)
