SANGHAR, Dec 26: An attempt by saboteurs to derail a train failed when they planted an explosive device of low intensity at the railway line between Tando Adam and Wahab Shah railway stations at mile 233/6 on the night between Tuesday-Wednesday.

An oil tanker train No. PN-II loaded with oil was going from Karachi to Nishatabad, when it reached near Tando Adam a bomb blasted under the engine, which damaged the headlights, windowpanes and also ripped the vacuum power pipe causing failure of braking system.

The train halted, train driver Akhtar Hussain Shah, fireman Abdul Ghaffar and guard Noor Hussain repaired the pipe and brought the train to the Tando Adam railway station where he informed the station master, Jawaid Ahmed Waraich, who informed the high officials at Sukkur and Karachi and also the local administration.

All the up and down trains were halted at different stations and bomb disposal squad was also called from Hyderabad.

The bomb had caused a three-foot deep crater on the railway line and also damaged two sleepers and rail track.

The divisional engineer of Pakistan Railways, Nisar Memon, and Aamir Ahmed Daudpota reached the place where the accident was occurred.

At about 1:10am the railway traffic was restored, when the railway engineers and the bomb disposal squad issued clearance certificate.

An FIR No. 254/1 was registered under section 7 ETC, 34 of the Explosive Act and 435-126 of the Railways Act at the Tando Adam police station.

The complainant in the case is the SHO of Tando Adam, Mohammad Hassan Mallah.

Some 13 persons have been detained. One of them is identified as Nohri by caste belonging to the border town of Umerkot, a Kaimkhani by caste of Tando Allahyar full names could not be ascertained.