Mastung, Paksitan: At least 12 people, including women and children, were injured on Tuesday, September 23, when a blast struck the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express in Balochistan’s Mastung district.
The explosion in the Spizend area caused six carriages to derail and one to overturn, leaving passengers trapped inside. Around 270 people were on board at the time of the incident.
Some visuals from the scene surfaced on social media. Have a look:
Second Blast on the Same Route in 10 Hours
Local authorities confirmed it was the second explosion in the area within 10 hours. Earlier in the morning, an improvised explosive device detonated near the track as the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express prepared to leave Quetta. That train continued its journey as the line was not damaged.
Rescue teams were dispatched to the site of Tuesday’s blast, where trapped passengers were being pulled from mangled carriages. Visuals from the scene showed overturned compartments as emergency workers shifted the injured to nearby hospitals. Security personnel also cordoned off the site.
Train Repeatedly Targeted by Separatists
The Jaffar Express, which runs between Quetta and Peshawar, has been repeatedly targeted this year. On August 10, an IED derailed six coaches of the train, injuring four people. Days earlier, a bomb near Sibi station exploded shortly after the train had passed, and on August 4 gunmen opened fire on its pilot engine in an assault later claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA).
Earlier incidents included a remotely detonated device in June that derailed four carriages in Jacobabad and a March hijacking in Bolan, when militants killed 21 passengers and four security personnel. In another March attack in Balochistan’s Mach area, at least six soldiers were killed and more than 450 passengers held hostage before the BLA claimed responsibility.
Railway officials said repair work on the damaged track would begin under security clearance, with services suspended until further notice. The coordinated strikes have heightened concerns about safety on transport routes in Balochistan, a province long affected by separatist violence.
