Death toll rises to 6 in train blast in eastern Turkey

The death toll of members of the Turkish Directorate General of State Railways (TCDD) rose to six as a train derailed due to an explosion caused by a remote-controlled bomb planted on the track, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on Saturday.

TCDD Deputy Director General Talat Aydin was quoted as saying that the directorate had taken necessary measures against such attacks, adding that it was an attack against prosperity and peace in Turkey.

Anatolia also reported that another bomb found 200 meters away from the railway, where the explosion derailed the train in Bingol province in eastern Turkey, was defused by bomb experts.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed deep sorrow over death of people in this attack, and condemned the terror attack. The train blast was caused by a remote-controlled bomb, Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim said.

The remote-controlled bomb, planted earlier on the railway, was detonated when the train was traveling between Bingol city and Genc town en route from the eastern city of Elazig to the eastern town of Tatvan, he said.

A total of 12 injured people were taken to Bingol State Hospital by a military helicopter for treatment.

Kurdish militants, leftist and Islamic groups are active in Turkey and have carried out bombing attacks in the past.

In November 2003, four suicide bombs hit British and Jewish targets in Turkey's largest city of Istanbul and killed more than 60 people.

Source: Xinhua