Blast derails Jaffar Express in Dasht

A dozen passengers, including women, children injured

QUETTA:

A railway track in the Dasht area was hit by a powerful explosion on Tuesday, targeting the Jaffar Express traveling from Peshawar to Quetta.

Officials said the device, an improvised explosive planted near the track, went off as the passenger train passed. The blast caused four bogies to derail and left nearly a dozen passengers injured, including women and children.

Rescue workers and security forces quickly reached the site and launched emergency efforts to evacuate the victims. The injured were shifted to hospitals in Quetta, where an emergency was declared to ensure timely treatment.

Health officials reported that while several passengers sustained minor injuries, some remain in serious condition and are receiving critical care.

Images shared online showed rescue teams working alongside law enforcement agencies to clear the wreckage and assist passengers.

Railway authorities confirmed that the explosion severely damaged the track and led to a suspension of train services in the area. An investigation has been launched, though no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

A similar incident occurred in August 2025 when six bogies were derailed near the same location.

That incident had come just three days after a Quetta-bound Jaffar Express narrowly escaped a disaster in Sibi, where a bomb planted near the track exploded just after the passenger train passed.

In another near-miss incident on July 24, a powerful explosion ripped through the Quetta-Sibi rail section, damaging a bogie of the Bolan Mail.

A July 28 derailment of the Jaffar Express train in Sukkur was initially attributed to an explosion — even by government-run media — but the Ministry of Railways later said a technical fault was the cause.

In June, a powerful explosion of a remotely controlled explosive device fitted to rail tracks caused four bogies of the Jaffer Express to derail in Jacobabad. No one was hurt in the incident.

In April, the 3UP train heading from Karachi to Quetta was stopped at Jacobabad railway station due to security reasons.