Argentine commuters torch trains

Commuters in Argentina have set fire to two trains amid anger over delays.

Passengers torched the trains at stations outside Buenos Aires, saying the delay was costing them a day's pay.

Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to break up the protests, which the government said had been planned by militant members of the Workers Party.

The party rejected this, saying officials were trying to minimise legitimate protests over problems with public transport.

The trouble erupted after a train broke down on the line.

Angry commuters at the station of Merlo, in the western outskirts of the capital, set fire to several train carriages.

At another station, Castelar, a crowd set fire to another train, damaging a carriage. Protesters also threw stones at the ticket office and blocked the lines.

Justice Minister Anibal Fernandez said the faulty train had been sabotaged and left-wing activists had started the violence.

"This was planned, it was premeditated," Mr Fernandez said.

About a dozen people were arrested.

Argentina's railway network suffers frequent delays and commuters' anger has led to violence before.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Argentina presidency (in Spanish)
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites