Blast in Jaffar Express at Sibi railway station kills 17
The train was carrying passengers to Lahore from Quetta.
SIBI (Web Desk) – At least 17 people were killed and more than 40 injured when a bomb hit a passenger train in Pakistan s southwestern Sibi district on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
Khawaja Saad Rafique, minister for Pakistan Railways, said that the explosion that hit a passenger train 10 minutes after it stopped at Sibi Railway station in Balochistan Province left 17 people killed and over 40 others including women and kids injured.
He said that investigations into the incident are underway, however, it seems that the blast was carried out by a woman as there were no arrangements for women s security check at the station which might have given chance to the woman terrorist to plant the bomb inside the train s compartment.
He said that there were over 80 people including women and kids in the compartment targeted by the terrorists.
According to initial investigations by police, the bomb was triggered off by a remote controlled blast and explosives were fixed inside a compartment of the train that caught fire following the blast and got completely destroyed.
Bomb disposal unit said that an estimated eight to 10 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast.
General Manager of Pakistan Railway said that the train was carrying passengers to eastern Lahore city from Balochistan s provincial capital of Quetta.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Police cordoned off the area and kicked off search operation.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the blast and directed hospital administration to provide best possible medical treatment to the injured people.
The blast happened one day after paramilitary troops, Frontier Corps, killed 30 militants including those believed to be involved in carrying out attacks at railway tracks and trains in neighboring Khuzdar area.
