TOBA TEK SINGH / LAHORE, Aug 5: An infant died and 35 passengers suffered injuries when a bomb exploded in the Karachi-bound Shalimar Express near Chuttiana railway station, 17km from Toba Tek Singh, on Monday.

Citing preliminary reports, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq said at a news conference in Lahore that up to 10kgs of locally-made explosives in a polythene bag had been placed in the toilet of an Economy Class bogie.

According to witnesses, the bomb went off at about 12.45pm when the train was about to cross the station. It was stopped by applying emergency brakes.

Passengers of other compartments rescued the injured.

Sixteen of the injured were admitted to the Toba Tek Singh district headquarters hospital and the others with minor injuries were provided first aid by Rescue 1122 staff.

One and a half years old Mohammad Asif died while he and his mother were being taken to the Allied Hospital in Faisalabad.

EXTORTION: A private company looking after passenger facilities for the Shalimar Express said it had received phone calls demanding money.

The last call had been received on July 31.

A private TV channel quoted intelligence sources as saying the calls had been made from Afghanistan.

The minister parried question about safety measures taken in view of the threats.

According to sources, the management of the Shalimar Group had informed the railways minister and the inspector general of railways police about the threats on July 31.

But railways officials said that the company had its own security personnel and like other trains operating between Lahore and Karachi under private management two constables of railways police were deputed for each trip of Shalimar Express.

The train remained at Chuttiana for four hours and left the station after the affected coaches had been detached. Local activists of the youth wings of the PML-N and PTI distributed soft drinks and meal among passengers.