Two children among five hurt in Chaman blast

Jaffar Express bogies derail due to explosion near Dera Murad Jamali

QUETTA: Five people, including two children, were injured in a motorcycle bomb blast in the border town of Chaman while four passenger bogies of Jaffar Express derailed near Dear Murad Jamali due to an explosion at the railway track on Monday.

Security officials in Chaman said the bomb blast took place near Bus terminal at Mall road of Chaman in Qila Abdullah district, injuring five people including two children.

Police and personnel of Frontier Corps rushed to the site soon after and shifted the injured to district hospital Chaman after cordoning off the area.



Official sources said unknown people parked an explosive loaded motorbike near the local bus terminal, which went off causing great panic in the border town.

“Fire broke out in the exploded motorbike after the blast,” a senior police officer said, adding windowpanes of many nearby shops and buildings were smashed due to the impact of blast.

He said at least three vehicles, including a bus, were damaged in the powerful blast. “The blast seems remote controlled,” police said, adding the bomb disposal squad visited the explosion site and collected evidence.

Hospital officials said all the five injured were stable. They were identified as FC’s civilian employee Wilson Masih, two children – six-year-old Muhammad Saleem and five-year-old Muhammad Omer –, Muhammad Essa Noorzai and Ahmed Ullah Alizai.



Meanwhile, four bogies of Jaffar Express were derailed near Dera Murad Jamali town when a powerful explosion took place at the main railway track linking Balochistan with the rest of the country.

Railway officials said,” Over 300 feet long track was badly damaged in the blast due to derailment of four bogies of the Jaffar Express.”

Sources said the train was moving towards its next destination Dera Allahyar when the blast took place at the track throwing four bogies off the track. “No passenger was injured travelling in the derailed bogies,” railway officials said, adding security forces condoned off the area and shifted the passengers to a safe place.

Train service was suspended between Quetta and other parts of the country following the explosion. It will remain so till the track is repaired.  “Replacing of damaged track will be completed sometime in the night and train service is expected to resume on Tuesday morning,” railway officials said.

Security forces have opened investigation and a search operation was also launched to trace the elements involved in the blast.