SUKKUR, April 30: The Karachi-bound Shah Rukn-i-Alam Express escaped a disaster when a bomb exploded on the railway track near the Sadiq Abad regulator, two kilometres off the Sadiq Abad railway station, on Saturday. Safety plates and nuts of the track were destroyed in the blast that took place at about 12:30pm.

Police sources claimed that the bomb had been planted to blow up the 13-down Shah Rukn-i-Alam Express which was scheduled to pass from the site at 12:45pm.

SHO Sadiq Abad Mian Khalid said the bomb, weighing one pound, was locally made and it went off 15 minutes ahead of its time.

Rahim Yar Khan DPO Syed Ibn-i-Hussain and the assistant engineer of the Khanpur railway region, along with technical staff and officials of the bomb disposal squad, rushed to the scene.

The repair work was started immediately and the railway traffic was restored after two and a half hours.

The Sadiq Abad police have registered a case against unidentified people. Police said the incident was an act of sabotage.