At least seven people were killed when three coaches of a train (Jaffar Express) derailed following a powerful blast on a railway track near a railway station in restive Balochistan province on Monday.

Islamabad, Oct 21/Nationalturk – In yet another terrorist attack in Pakistan, seven people were killed when three coaches of a train (Jaffar Express) derailed following a powerful blast on a railway track near Shori railway station in restive Balochistan province on Monday.

“Three coaches of Jaffer Express, which was on its way from Quetta to Rawalpindi, derailed after a powerful explosion on a railway track at Shori railway station in Balochistan province. At least five people were killed on spot and 15 others sustained injuries,” a police official said pleading anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to media.

He said the injured people were shifted to Sibi and Dera Murad Jamali hospital, where two of the critically injured succumbed to injuries. “The doctors attending on the injured have termed condition of some of them as ‘life threatening’.”

‘Militants targeted train by using IEDs’

Balochistan’s Home Secretary Asad Gailani told Pakistan’s newspaper The Dawn that militants targeted Jaffar Express using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Notal area of Naseerabad district in the Balochistan province.

He said the blasts damaged a portion of the railway track and three coaches of train.

Pakistan’s Railway Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique confirmed that seven people have been killed in the blast.

He expressed apprehensions that the death toll may increase.

Official sources said the blast left a big crater at the place and blew off 5/6 feet of the track causing blockade of rail traffic. “The impact of the blast was felt in the adjoining areas as well”.

Immediately after the blast, top police, civil and railway officials visited the spot to take stock of the situation.

‘Explosive device could have been detonated through remote control’

Police sources said the explosive device could have been detonated through a remote control. “Further investigations are going on,” they said.

According to media reports, the train was carrying hundreds of passengers from Pakistan’s Punjab province and they were returning to Balochistan after Eid holidays.

No terrorist group has so far claimed responsibility of the attack. However, authorities apprehend that it could be the handiwork of Baloch terrorist groups.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

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