Derailed: Blast on railway track leaves 4 dead near Umerkot

Two relief trains have been sent and the dozens injured are being taken to hospital.

RAJANPUR: A remote-control explosion on a railway track left at least four people dead and dozens injured near Umerkot in Rajanpur district of Punjab, Express News reported on Friday.

The explosive material was planted on the track and was detonated via a remote-controlled device at 9:35am as the Karachi-bound train passed over it, the deputy superintendent said. The explosion site is around 40 kilometres away from Rajanpur city.

The blast derailed seven bogeys of the Khushhal Khan Khattak Express train, two of which were overturned, according to Chief Controller Railway Station Naseem Ahmed Doger. Four bogeys of the train were damaged badly.

The train was reportedly travelling at 60-70km per hour from Peshawar to Karachi when the explosion occurred. Rescue teams have reached the scene and the injured were taken to civil hospital for treatment.

Two relief trains were sent from Multan and Sukkur.

General manager of Pakistan Railways said the oil tank of the train was also damaged because of the explosion.

A five-foot crater has formed under the track, making rescue efforts difficult as four of the bogeys fell into a nala after the blast.

Minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafique has asked for a report on the explosion and ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident. Rafique also announced financial compensation worth Rs500,000 for the relatives of the dead and Rs100,000 for each injured.

The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) has launched a search operation in the area.

Technical teams of Pakistan Railways from Multan, Lahore, DG Khan and Sukkur are busy repairing the track. The work can take at least 12 hours to complete.