A screengrab shows the damaged cabin. SCREENGRAB: EXPRESS NEWS
The police in the area of Chatiyana registered the train blast case against the unidentified people responsible for the incident under various provisions of law.
Superintendent Police Qasim Khan said that the police officials were gathering evidence from the site.
Abdul Jabbar Khan SHO Railway Police Station Faisalabad Division said, "We are fully assisting the Chaityana police for investigating the Shalimar train blast and tracing out the culprits involved in the incident."
The train had started its journey from Lahore approximately three hours late.
Sources said, "Shalimar Express heading towards Karachi from Lahore."
The explosion occurred in cabin number seven of the economy class. Two cabins suffered damaged.
According to Shalimar Express officials, first aid boxes were available within the train and train managers were assisting the rescue work.
Trains were filled up to capacity due to the upcoming Eid holiday season.
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END OF LIVE UPDATES
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2:50 pm
The train has left for its remaining journey though passengers from the damaged cabin refused to get on-board.
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2:49 pm
“We think that this is the work of a group that wants extortion money since the bomb was not planted where the passengers were sitting," said Minister for Railways Saad Rafique.
Railway police don’t have the required resources; they do not have cars, or bomb detectors said the minister.
“We have begun an inquiry,” he added.
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2:39 pm
The blast was planted inside the train cabin's toilet. The intensity of the blast is said to be low.
Passengers were asked to sit inside the train again, though some refused and chose private transport. The train is due to continue its journey to Karachi. The damaged cabin will be dropped off at the next station.
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2:25 pm
Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said that there have been no deaths as a result of the blast.
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1:57 pm
DPO Asif Shehzad said three injured victims are in a critical condition at the hospital.
According to the DPO, 9 people were shifted to the hospital for treatment.
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1:54 pm
Railway sources say they received calls and threats in connection with extortion money, Geo News reported.
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1:48 pm
Death toll rises to three as one more person succumbs to injuries.
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1:43 pm
Eye witness Sonya said “We were sleeping in the cabin when the blast took place. There were many water bottles present where the blast took place; we fear the bottles may have contained explosive substance.”
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1:39 pm
Another victim succumbed to injuries, making it the second death due to the blast.
An emergency has been declared at hospitals in Faisalabad and Toba Tek Singh.
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1:32 pm
According to railway constable, details regarding the nature of the blast are not known as of yet.
There were at least 60 people in the cabin where the explosion took place.
25 people have been reported to be injured due to the blast.
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1:28 pm
Police officials have still not reached the scene of the blast.
Passers-by are causing difficulties for the rescue operation as they are obstructing emergency path and there is no one to manage the crowd.
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1:24 pm
Rescue teams have reached the site of the blast. The injured victims are being shifted to nearby hospitals while the critically injured victims may be transferred to hospitals in Faisalabad.
A five year-old died on the spot after succumbing to injuries.
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COMMENTS (29)
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"“We think that this is the work of a group that wants extortion money since the bomb was not planted where the passengers were sitting,” said Minister for Railways Saad Rafique."
Shalimar Express is not run by Pakistan Railways, it is run by a private company called Air Rail Services. It seems these extortionists do not do their research!
@US Centcom: "We hope the ones responsible will be caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law." The track record of the police/ law enforcement agencies shatters the hope. Never been able to crack any case of blast and catch a single extremist. even though Taliban proudly claiming for the blasts.
The terrorists continue to push their deadly agenda forward without any respect for the holy month of Ramadan. This attack again proves that we are dealing with barbaric minded criminals who have no regard for humanity. These terrorists have made it a mission to destabilize the region, and we need to work together to counter this threat. Our forces are working night and day to restore peace in the region. Our sacrifices clarify our stance against terrorism. We hope to continue our partnership and counter the threat posed by these extremist organizations. We pray for the recovery of those who are critically injured. We hope the ones responsible will be caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Ali Khan DET, United States Central Command
@Ali: how can you be so sure that it was an accidental blast and not the intended one?. Silent sympathy has cost the nation very high.
I always wonder what the over-rated, over-paid & over-pampered armed forces, the so-called 'sole saviours' of Pakistan are doing! why are they not ordered to eliminate the Taliban rebels & liberate both Waziristans from this menace? Why does Pakistan maintain such nincompoop officers who are not able to even handle a domestic insurgency? They are failing on every front: Abbottabad, Mehran, Kamra & so on and on and on! Just a series of fiascos after fiascos!
Extortionists are destroying Punjab and Mian Brothers are sleeping after drinking jugs of Lassi in Sahri. Please wake up and start war against them. Punjab has also become Karachi and Waziristan. We still love you but if you don't take serious and visible steps against them, then it will be all over between us.
All you people can say is 'may God help us'/'may Allah save them' etc etc. God will not come down and do anything, we have to step out and take back what is ours, and put an end to this taliban/extremist/corrupt/extortion miseries!!!
BTW will now Mr Rana Sanaullah demand his party member Khawaja Saad Rafique for his resignation for this tragedy?
Let the show begin. Cheers for Taliban.
man this is not attack accidentally blast. so don't be panic on this.
May Allah save himself from these creatures.
These are the negative effects which will occur in a conservative societies which Pakistan has opted for by becoming "Islamic Republic" where each sect is trying to prove its own version of Islam to be right and intolerance towards other sects, religion, ethnicity and Nationality. Let liberals win over conservative as is the case in India and the western countries like UK,US and Australia etc. Let Pakistan be a Liberal Society. God bless Liberals of Pakistan,Liberals Zindabad.
good try....railway administration....you think this is the right way to repulse people from crowding near Eid ? i highly suspect this as an inside job
Unfortunately tribune is now becoming JEW tv ...very sad
guess where is our Prime Minister these days?........performing Umrah!! His priority is to perform a pilgrimage.....whilst people are dyeing in his country...Where are all PML- N supporters now who were castigating IK and PTI over the jail break? How would they now justify Nawaz Sharif's trip to Saudia when people are dieing in his homeland, when half of the country is under water? First time I have started to realize that if Punjab has given more than its fair share to the nation in various forms than it has also done more than its fair share of damage to this country as well.
As usual another False Flag Operation (as used by Pakistanis for other countries).
Is the Shalimar Express train run by Pakistan Railways or is it in Patnership with a Private Operator? . Cheers
Strange no one blamed the foreign hand for the blast !!
this is terrible .
For God Sake..stop the blame game and point scoring PML N...its one Pakistan and one problem...some thing happens in KPK they say its provisional issue...som thing happens in Karachi then they leave it to incompetent PPP..what is interior minster and PM are doing..are they only for Punjab and Baluchistan..PM and interior minters visited Baluchistan..but they never visited KPK after that much terrorism..If Pakistan remains then only politics will remain...where are we heading for our petty issues..
A five year-old died on the spot Imagine the grief of parents.. =(
Even the skies are crying these days over the sad state of affairs in which the poor loose life and limb and families are devastated forever when they loose their breadwinners, their fathers, their husbands, and their brothers. These enemies of humanity have no compassion towards the poor and the struggling to spare them at least the joys of Eid. The Pakistani public should realize that it is the Pakistan's Army that is responsible to secure the safety of Pakistan's citizens. Having been in control of the fate of the nation for much of its' existence, the Army should be accountable to bring back the peace and order we have lost in recent years.
Inna Lillahe Wainna Ilaihe Rajeoon. Allah Bless Pakistan Peace and Peace only, Ameen.
so sad :(
I hope it turns out to be a low intensity blast with no loss of lives.
oooh god....please bless the deceased...only few days before the eid...allah o akabar ....ooo allah why did you create monsters like these who purposely pick the events that would hurt the most...people die in war...thats a different story but purposely picking eid holidays..eid prayers...allah i leave it on to you to give all the responsible extreme punishment in this world and the other and that includes the incompetent railway and law enforcement authorities....
May God keep the passengers and crew safe (Amen)
Please God, save us.