QUETTA: The Rawalpindi-bound Jaffar Express coming from Quetta escaped a disaster in Dashat area of the Mastung district on Friday after a bomb blew up a portion of the railway track, damaging the fuel tank of the locomotive.

A portion of the railway track was destroyed by the powerful blast, suspending the train service between Que­tta and Sibi for three hours.

Engineers and technicians of the railways department reached the scene of the incident and repaired the railway track.

Levies officials said that an improvised explosive device had been placed at the track by saboteurs, around 20km from the Mastung district.

“The IED planted on the track was detonated with a remote control when the train was passing through the area,” a senior official of the Pakistan Railways said, adding that the bomb exploded after the locomotive reached there.

The blast damaged the fuel tank of the locomotive, but the driver immediately stop­ped the train by applying emergency brakes and averted a major disaster.

“All bogies carrying passengers remained safe,” Railway officials said, adding that the fuel tank of the locomotive was slightly damaged.

Soon after the blast, law-enforcement personnel cordoned off the area.

“It was a huge blast, but luckily all the bogies and passengers remained safe,” a Levies Force official said.

Published in Dawn January 24th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play