QUETTA:
A blast on a railway track in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Sunday derailed six bogies of the Jaffar Express, though no loss of life was reported, officials said.
The explosion occurred near Spezant in Dasht Tehsil, targeting the passenger train and damaging its locomotive along with several coaches, officials confirmed.
According to the Levies authorities, an explosive device planted on the track detonated as the train passed, forcing the engine and five bogies off the rails. The sudden jolt brought the Jaffar Express to an abrupt halt.
Rescue teams and railway staff quickly arrived at the scene to evacuate passengers and ensure their safety. Security forces sealed off the area and launched a search operation to track down those responsible for the sabotage.
Officials said the explosives were locally manufactured, highlighting persistent security concerns in the province. The Jaffar Express, which operates between Quetta and Rawalpindi, has previously been the target of similar attacks.
A formal investigation has been initiated, and in the aftermath of the blast, security measures were heightened across the region. Train services from Balochistan to other parts of the country were temporarily suspended.
The latest attack comes just three days after the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express narrowly dodged disaster in Sibi, where a bomb planted near the track exploded moments after the passenger train had passed.
On July 24, another close shave occurred when a powerful blast tore through the QuettaSibi rail section, damaging a bogie of the Bolan Mail.
Similarly, the July 28 derailment of the Jaffar Express in Sindh’s Sukkur was initially blamed on an explosion. However, the Ministry of Railways later attributed it to a technical fault.
In June, a remotely detonated explosive device fitted to the tracks caused four bogies of the Jaffar Express to derail in Jacobabad. No injuries were reported in that incident.
Back in April, the 3UP train from Karachi to Quetta was halted at Jacobabad railway station due to security threats.
Train services between Quetta and the rest of the country were only restored on March 27 after being suspended earlier that month due to the unprecedented hijacking of the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express.
