At least ten commuters, including four women, were killed and 70 injured in an explosion near the first class ladies compartment of a local train in Mumbai.

The incident occurred when the train was entered Mulund station around 2045 IST on Thursday. It comes a day after the tenth anniversary of the serial blasts in Mumbai.

Railway police sources told rediff.com that ten people -- six men and four women -- died in the blast, which ripped open a part of a bogie. The men killed were in the adjoining IInd class compartment.

Two of the four women killed were police constables, an official attached to Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal told rediff.com

The injured were taken to the Mulund General Hospital and the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Hospital, Sion.

Bhujbal visited the injured at the Mulund hospital and announced a compensation of Rs 200,000 for the next of kin of those killed.

Most of the victims received injuries on the head and above the waist as a result of which the toll is likely to go up. About 100 commuters were believed to be in the bogie.

The train was on its way to Karjat from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus [formerly called the Victoria Terminus].

Traffic on the Central Railway was affected and movement of trains on the fast track was stopped following the incident.

On January 28, a blast took place near the Vile Parle station, killing one and injuring 25.

On December 2, 2002, two people were killed in an explosion outside Ghatkopar station.

Later that month, 25 people were hurt in a blast at Mumbai Central station.

The names of 8 of the deceased are:
1. Reema Pathak
2. Shobha Shinde
3. Vidya Kashirana
4. Swapnil Ravindra Kambli
5. Nanvani Namdeo
6. Ashok Namdeo
7. Shirish Nukund Agashe
8. R V Salvi

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Photo: Kedar Bhat

With inputs from PTI