AP
Rescue workers remove body of Hindu activist from burned-out rail car in Godhra, India

Indian officials are trying to head off new outbreaks of religious violence after a mob of Muslims set fire to a train carrying Hindu activists, killing 57 people.

Authorities have stepped up security in several cities, including New Delhi, and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has issued a nationwide appeal for calm.

Wednesday's attack in the town of Godhra occurred as the Hindus returned from a disputed religious site, Ayodhya. There, a Hindu group (Vishwa Hindu Parishad or the World Hindu Council) wants to build a temple at the site of a 16th-century mosque destroyed by Hindu fanatics in 1992. That incident triggered nationwide fighting between Hindus and Muslims that killed at least 2,000 people.

Police say the Muslims in the town of Godhra were incensed by pro-Hindu slogans being shouted from the train.

Local officials are quoted as saying the Muslims pelted the train with stones, forced it to stop, and set the coaches on fire after dousing them with kerosene.

Hours after the attack, the Hindu group vowed to begin construction of the temple on March 15, defying a court order that bans any construction at the site.

Later, at least one person was reported dead as sectarian violence broke out in the nearby city of Ahmedabad. The state of Gujarat has a history of Muslim-Hindu tensions.

Mr. Vajpayee has cancelled a trip to Australia to deal with the crisis.

Tuesday, the government assured leaders from the country's main political parties that it will not allow any construction on or near the disputed site.

Some information for this report provided by Reuters and AP.

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