Statescape

Rains disrupt train services

CALCUTTA: Train services on the South Eastern Railway8217;s Tikiapara-Howrah route were disrupted due to severe water-logging in the Howrah station yard, following a heavy downpour in the metropolis and its suburbs. The night-long torrential showers forced rescheduling of several long-distance and passenger trains in the route, SER sources here said. Steel Express, Dhauli Express, Faluknama and East Coast Express, scheduled to leaved Howrah thismorning, had not been able to leave the station till 10:30 am.

Lightning claims six in KeralaKUTTIYADI KERALA: Lightning struck dead five children and a teacher at the Oorath Cherukunnu Upper Primary School in Kuttiayadi in Kozhikode district this afternoon. The storm took place at 3:45 pm, killing four boys and a girl of the fifth standard and a lady teacher who was engaging the class. About 22 other children of the schools suffered injuries and the condition of two them was serious, police said.

Four Armymen injured in blast

SRINAGAR: Four Army personnel, including a major, were injured when militants blew up their vehicle with an Improvised Explosive Device IED at Pattan area of Baramulla district in North Kashmir today, an official spokesman said. He said militants had planted the IED on the main road near Dangerpora in Pattan, 27 kms from here, on Srinagar-Baramulla road.

Alleppey-Bokaro Express derailsSAMBALPUR ORISSA: Passengers of the 8690 Alleppey- Bokaro Expresshad a providential escape when seven bogies derailed between Barpali and Baragarh road police station under the Sambalpur-Titlagarh section of the South Eastern Railway division, early today. Railway sources said only one passenger sustained minor injuries and was admitted to the Baragarh hospital.

Sarpanch shot dead in Haryana

ROHTAK: A sarpanch of Mandothi village, located about 40 km from here, was gunned down by four car-borne assailants, police said here today. Umed Singh, a resident of Mandothi, who informed the police yesterday, identified two of sarpanch Hansraj8217;s killers as Sanjay of the same village and Devinder of nearby Tandaheri village in Jhajjar district. Police have registered a case under Section 302 of the IPC and launched a massive manhunt for all the four assailants.

Militants killed in Assam

GUWAHATI: Three suspected hard-core NDFB militants were killed in an encounter with the Army at Durabil under Kachugaon police station in Assam8217;s Kokrajhar district today,official reports said. One self-loading rifle, a sten-gun and twelve rounds of ammunition were recovered from them, reports added.