QUETTA, Oct 29: Unknown people blew up the main railway line near Quetta and the pipeline supplying natural gas to the provincial capital in Sibi area on Saturday. Rail traffic between Quetta and the rest of the country was suspended and the Chiltan Express coming from Lahore was stopped at Sariab station.

“Around a dozen sleepers of the tracks were damaged in the blast on Saturday night,” Quetta Division Railway Controller Mohammad Shoaib told Dawn.

He said passengers of the Chiltan Express were brought here from Sariab by bus.

He said railway engineers were repairing the damaged portion of the tracks and traffic was expected to be restored by Sunday morning.

“High explosive was used for blowing up the tracks,” railway police sources said.

According to sources in the Sui Southern Gas Company, gas supply to Quetta was not disrupted after the explosion early on Saturday near Damboli repeater station, some 53km from Sibi.

They said unknown people planted explosive with timer and blew up the 12-inch diameter pipeline supplying natural gas to Quetta and some other areas.

The sources said the staff at the SSGC gas control centre closed the valves at Damboli and Shori repeater stations and supply to Lehri, Bhang and Jhatpat areas was affected.

ARRESTED: Law-enforcement agencies seized illegal weapons and arrested three people in Tallar area of Gwadar district.