Twelve killed in Assam blast

At least 12 people have been killed in a train bomb explosion in India's north-eastern state of Assam.

The blast was so intense that it derailed seven carriages of the train.

Police said more people may have died or sustained serious injuries.

The site of Monday's explosion is not far from the place where another explosion derailed several bogies of a goods train on Sunday.

It is not yet clear who is behind the blast, but Assam police say one of the state's two major rebel groups - the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) or the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) - could be responsible.

Both the groups set off such explosions and attack security forces and economic targets like oil pipelines every year in the weeks preceding India's independence day, which falls on 15 August.

Railway officials told the BBC that the blast happened between Goreswar and Kharabari stations around 7pm local time (1330GMT).