At least four passengers were injured on Tuesday when an explosion on a railway track near Sultan Kot, close to Shikarpur, four coaches of Jaffar Express, who traveled from Peshawar to Quetta, said police and railway staff.
According to security sources, the explosion happened as the train passed the Sultan KOT station. The wounded passengers were taken to a nearby hospital for initial medical treatment.
A spokesperson for Pakistan Railways said rescue teams had been sent to the site, while train operations in the area were temporarily suspended.
The incident caused fear and panic among passengers and residents nearby.
Read: Jaffar Express Service remains suspended
Sindh Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar noticed the explosion and sought a detailed report from Shikarpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP). He instructed law enforcement authorities to start an immediate investigation into the incident.
Lanjar said that those responsible for damaging the railway track would be brought to court and emphasize the importance of strong evidence and coordinated efforts to track and arrest the perpetrators. He instructed officials to keep him updated on the development of the investigation.
Read more: JAFFAR EXPRESS CVS SERVICE AFTER Track Repairs
Jaffar Express resumed the operations last week on the Quetta – Peshawar route, five days after services had been suspended after a bomb explosion that damaged the railway track and the bridge near Spezand on September 23.
Railway men said the suspension was imposed after terrorists blasted a section of the line, wounded several passengers and disturbed train operations along the route. They confirmed that repair and restoration work on the damaged infrastructure had since ended, enabling services to restart.
The explosion took place between Degari Cross Speedent and Sariab Railway Stations, which tracks the engine and five coaches in the Peshawar-bound train. Authorities thought the explosion took place 30 to 45 minutes before the train reached the place.
Officials said the unit was an improvised explosive planted near the track that detonated as the train passed, leaving several passengers, including women and children, wounded.
After the explosion, both Jaffar Express and Bolan Express services from Quetta were canceled, with passengers getting full refund. Help surgeries were immediately launched, involving heavy machinery to clear the wreck, adjust the well -trained trainers and repair the track.
A study of the incident was initiated. Earlier in March, terrorists hijacked Jaffar Express, who transported over 400 passengers, resulting in the death of 21 people before approval operations could begin.
