Repeated attacks reveal Pakistan's railway security failures

Balochistan [Pakistan], September 24 (ANI): A deadly bomb blast targeted the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express in the Spizend area of Mastung on Tuesday, leaving twelve passengers, including women and children, injured.

Railway authorities confirmed that six bogies derailed following the explosion, with one carriage overturning, resulting in several injuries among the travellers inside, as reported by Dawn.

According to Dawn, this was the second explosion in the same region within just 10 hours. Earlier on Tuesday morning, an initial blast occurred near the main railway track connecting Balochistan with other parts of the country, coinciding with the departure of the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express from Quetta Railway Station.

While the train had to be briefly halted, security officials cleared the track shortly afterwards, allowing it to continue its journey.

Police corroborated that an improvised explosive device had been planted on the track and detonated as the Quetta-bound train passed through Spizend. A senior official from Pakistan Railways stated that five passengers sustained injuries in the overturned bogie alone, while others were hurt in the derailment of adjacent carriages.

Rescue teams and law enforcement personnel promptly reached the blast site, transporting the injured to nearby medical facilities for treatment. Railway authorities confirmed that around 270 passengers were on board the train when the incident occurred, emphasising the potential scale of casualties had the explosion happened at full speed, as cited by Dawn.

The repeated attacks on this stretch have once again raised serious concerns regarding passenger safety and the security of transport infrastructure in Balochistan, highlighting the vulnerability of key railway lines in the province.

Officials and local authorities have urged heightened vigilance and security measures along the route to prevent further attacks, stressing that safeguarding passenger lives and maintaining the continuity of railway services should be a top priority, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)

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