The Jaffar Express in Balochistan experienced another attack as six carriages derailed following an explosion near Mastung.
The Jaffar Express in Balochistan has been targeted once again. On Tuesday, six carriages derailed following an explosion in the Dasht area of Mastung district. Several passengers were injured. Police arrived at the scene as soon as the news came out, and rescue operations commenced.
The exact nature of the explosion and who is behind it remains unclear. However, railway authorities are not ruling out the possibility of an IED blast. An investigation has been initiated.
According to police sources, the Jaffar Express was en route from Peshawar to Quetta when an explosion occurred right beside the railway track. The intensity of the blast caused the track to crack, resulting in the overturning of six carriages. Ambulances and rescue teams from Quetta arrived promptly upon receiving the news.
In the aftermath of the incident, several images have gone viral on social media. These depict the commencement of rescue operations, with women and children being extricated from the mangled carriages. Three coaches have suffered severe damage. However, the exact number of casualties remains unknown at this time. Notably, this is not an isolated incident; as recently as last June, six bogies of the Jaffar Express had derailed due to an explosion.
It's worth noting that the Jaffar Express is a daily passenger train. Pakistan Railways operates this service between Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, and Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In a disturbing turn of events, this very Jaffar Express was hijacked by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in March of this year.
