Blast derails Shalimar Express outside Karachi, one killed 20 injured

Ten of the bogeys were derailed. Relief trains have also been dispatched to the site.

KARACHI: Blast on a railway track just outside of Karachi, derailed at least ten bogeys of the Shalimar Night Coach Express on Tuesday evening leaving one child dead and at least 20 people injured, Express News reported.

A passenger, Adnan, said that they were travelling to Lahore from Karachi. When they were between eight to ten kilometers outside Ghagar Phatak, the powerful blast derailed the train. He added that rescue workers were working to extract some people trapped in the bogeys, two of which had turned on their side.

The blast forced at least ten bogeys off the tracks.

Express News correspondent Nadeem Ahmed said that at least 30 people had been shifted to hospital via ambulances. Some of the injured were in critical condition.

Ahmed said that the nearest station was the Dhabeji station, which was at least 25 kilometers away from the site of the blast and that passengers were stranded in desolated stretch of the jungle. He added that security officials and rescue services had reached the site and were working to extract passengers trapped in the train carriages.

DS railways Maqsoodul Nabi told Express News that rescue services had reached the site and relief trains have been also been dispatched.

He added that arrangements are also being made to transfer the stranded passengers to their destinations.

Cranes had also been dispatched to the site to clear the tracks.

Ahmed said that according to preliminary report of bomb disposal squad, between two-three kilogrammes of explosive material had been planted. The blast damaged the tracks resulting in the train carriages derailing.