Agencies

Guwahati, Dec 2: Three people were killed and more than 30 wounded on Tuesday in a blast that ripped through a passenger train in Assam, police officials said.

One person died on the spot and two succumbed to their injuries at a local hospital.

"There are a large number of women and children among the casualties," the spokesman said.

The explosion occurred shortly after the train arrived at Diphu railroad station, about 200 miles (300 kilometers) south of Guwahati, said District Magistrate M C Sahu.

The train was heading from Lumding in central Assam to the eastern commercial hub of Tinsukia, Sahu said.

While no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, an intelligence official said an ethnic insurgent group, Karbi Longri National Liberation Front, fighting for wide autonomy in the state for the past five years was suspected.

The front is one of the three groups active in the region; the other two groups have reached ceasefire accords with the government.

The blast comes just days after terrorists attacked targets across Mumbai, killing more than 180 people. Today’s blast, however, is not seen as related to the Mumbai attacks.

In October, the state had witnessed 13 coordinated bomb attacks which killed 77 people and wounded hundreds in four towns.