Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 1124 Sun. July 29, 2007  
   
International


Violent protests kill 8 in India


Eight people were killed in southern India yesterday after police started firing on protesters demanding land for the poor, police said.

Communist parties called the protest in southern Andhra Pradesh state to demand land and houses for the impoverished in the area.

"Six persons died in police firing while a woman died when police hit her with batons in Khammam district," senior police officer A.K Mohanty said.

Another person was killed after being crushed under an ambulance that was rushing the injured to hospital in Khammam district, 350 kilometres (217 miles) east of state capital Hyderabad, officials said.

The government has ordered an investigation into the violence.