Quetta blast: Railway track repaired, train arrivals affected

DIG operation says the bomb was remote-controlled.

QUETTA: The railway track in Saryab area of Quetta was repaired on Sunday after a three feet segment was blown up by a blast on Saturday that killed two people.

DIG Operation Quetta Hamid Shakeel told the media persons that a remote-controlled bomb was planted at the railway track by unknown people.

As a result of the damaged track portion, train arrivals at Quetta have been affected. Jaffar express from Rawalpindi was late by 18 hours, while Quetta express from Peshawar arrived 16 hours late.

The departures from Quetta are also two hours behind schedule.

Meanwhile, police launched multiple search operations to hunt down the suspects.

Quetta blast kills two, blows off train track

A powerful blast killed two people and blew up ten feet portion off a railway track on Saryab road in Quetta, late Saturday night.

“Unidentified persons attached explosive materials with railway track in Nabiabad area behind of the Degree College Quetta which went off with big bang,” local police officer Raja Qayyum said, adding that two people had sustained serious injuries while a ten feet long portion of the track was blown up.

The injured were shifted to Sandeman hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.

The deceased were identified as Sherzaman and Abdul Mutalib. The victims were residents of a nearby slum and were passing through when blast took place.

The rail service between Quetta and rest of the country has also been disrupted as a result of the blast. “There was no night service at Quetta Railway station, therefore, neither any train is coming in or going out from Quetta,” railway sources said. He said the repair of the damaged track had been started and is likely be completed on Sunday.

Police and security forces cordoned off the area and have started a probe.

While Baloch militants target economic installations in Balochistan like railways and gas pipelines quite frequently, however, no group had so far claimed responsibility for the latest attack.