Burma Rebels Blow Up Passenger Train; 61 Dead, 112 Hurt
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RANGOON, Burma — Burmese rebels blew up a passenger train, killing 61 people and wounding 112, on the main line between Rangoon and Mandalay, the official Burmese News Agency said today.
It said the blast Wednesday night was caused by land mines planted under the railway tracks and was so powerful that the engine and six coaches were thrown off the tracks.
The explosion occurred about 150 miles north of Rangoon.
Burma’s armed forces have been fighting a dozen insurgent groups for decades, including communist guerrillas and ethnic minorities seeking autonomy.
The news agency did not indicate which rebel group had taken responsibility for the blast or indicate how many mines blew up.
About a third of the Texas-size country in Southeast Asia remains outside full government control.
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