QUETTA: Railway link between Balochistan and three other provinces was cut off on Sunday after attackers blew up the track near the Mach area of Bolan district in the morning.

Security officials said unidentified men planted an explosive device at the railway track between Mach and the Hirak area and blew it up by remote control.

“A big portion of the railway track was destroyed by the impact of the blast,” security officials said, adding that Rawalpindi-bound Jaffar Express coming from Quetta had to be stopped at Kolpur station after the incident.

Other passenger trains coming from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi to Quetta were also stopped at different stations.

Railway officials, while confirming the blast, said engineers and other staff had reached the site of the incident and started working on repairing the track.

“Repair work is undergoing at the site to restore the railway traffic,” the officials said.

According to APP, law enforcement agencies personnel and the bomb disposal squad team had reached the site and cordoned off the entire area.

Further investigations was under way.

Railway tracks in Baloch­istan have been blown up many times in the past. On March 17 last year, four people were killed and about 10 others injured when a railway track was blown up to target Jaffar Express near Dera Murad Jamali.

An improvised explosive device was planted at the railway track. The train was going from Rawalpindi to Quetta.'

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2020