Bomb blast derails six carriages of Jaffar Express in Mastung

QUETTA: A bomb blast on a railway track in Mastung’s Spizand area on Sunday derailed six carriages of the Quetta-to-Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express, but no casualties were reported.

According to security forces, unidentified assailants targeted the 38-Up Jaffar Express with an explosive device, damaging the track and several carriages. Police and security personnel rushed to the scene and cordoned off the entire area.

Following the blast, passengers of the Jaffar Express were transported back to Quetta. After security clearance, railway staff began removing the damaged carriages and repairing the affected section of the track.

Meanwhile, train operations between Balochistan and other provinces have been suspended due to security concerns, railway officials confirmed on Sunday.

The Jaffar Express from Peshawar to Quetta has been halted from August 10, while its Quetta-to-Peshawar service will be suspended from August 11 to August 14. The Bolan Mail, operating between Karachi and Quetta, has also been suspended till August 16.

Officials said the decision followed multiple bomb blasts targeting railway tracks in Balochistan in recent days, prompting authorities to halt services as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways has announced that train operations from Quetta will resume once security clearance is obtained.

According to a PR spokesperson on Sunday, in the light of the current security situation, the railway administration will transport passengers back to Quetta.

Commenting on the incident, Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said, “Terrorists’ cowardly acts cannot weaken our resolve.”