At least seven individuals sustained injuries on Tuesday when an explosion on a railway track caused four carriages of the Jaffar Express to derail in Sindh’s Shikarpur district, as reported by Dawn, referencing official sources.
In a statement to Dawn, Shikarpur’s Deputy Commissioner Shakeel Abro detailed that the explosion occurred at 8.15 am, approximately 1 km from the Sultan Kot railway station.
Abro noted that four injured individuals were transported to the Combined Military Hospital, while the other three were admitted to Shikarpur’s Civil Hospital.
The Jaffar Express was en route to Quetta, passing through Jacobabad, according to the official.
Sukkur Divisional Transport Officer (DTO) Mohsin Ali Sial informed Dawn that passengers were being relocated to nearby stations to facilitate track repair efforts.
Shikarpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shahzeb Chachar confirmed that the remaining carriages continued toward Jacobabad and remarked that the explosion targeted the track used by trains traveling to and from Quetta via Jacobabad.
He added that police forces in Jacobabad and Shikarpur are working to identify those responsible for the attack.
Sindh’s Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah reportedly condemned the act. According to Radio Pakistan, Shah demanded a report on the incident from the Sindh police inspector general and instructed the Larkana commissioner to ensure medical care for the injured passengers.
This incident follows a recent derailment of six carriages from the same train in Balochistan province in late September.
Earlier in March, the train was hijacked by Baloch Liberation Army militants, resulting in the deaths of 21 passengers and four security personnel. All 33 militants involved in the attack were killed by Pakistani forces, rescuing hundreds of passengers.
