Bomb blast hits train in southern Thailand, killing 1

Bangkok: Police say a bomb has exploded and hit a train in southern Thailand, killing one railroad worker and injuring another.

Police Capt Pramoj Juichuay says the bomb was placed on the tracks and exploded when the train passed over it as it was passing a station in Pattani province today. The bomb blast blew off the last carriage of the train.

The train was on its way from Sungai Golak to Hat Yai, near the border with Malaysia.

Southern Thailand, which has a majority Muslim population in the predominantly Buddhist country, has for years been in the grip of a separatist insurgency. The insurgents regularly carry out bombings and assassinations against government targets.