• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. Explosion derails cargo train in Pakistan's Balochistan.
  2. Seven people injured in Quetta railway track blast.
  3. Incident targeted train heading to cantonment area.

Pakistan Train Explosion News: At least 24 people were killed after a powerful explosion derailed a cargo train in southwest Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Sunday, officials and local media reported.

The blast occurred along a railway track in Quetta, the provincial capital, targeting a train headed toward the city’s cantonment area, according to local broadcaster 24 News. Heavy gunfire was reported shortly after the explosion. 

A train suffered partial damage in the blast, while 10 vehicles parked in the area were also damaged, police said. The impact of the explosion shattered the windows and glass panels of nearby buildings, Geo News reported.

20 reported injured

The explosion occurred on Sunday near Chaman Phatak railway station in Quetta. At least 20 people sustained injuries in the blast, rescue officials said.

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A spokesperson for Quetta’s Civil Hospital said all injured individuals were shifted to a medical facility, where an emergency was declared to handle the situation. Later, Geo News reported the at least 20 people were injured.

Provincial home department special assistant Babar Yousafzai said security personnel and rescue teams rushed to the site, while police launched an investigation to determine the nature and cause of the explosion.

No group claims responsiblity

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident.

Balochistan, a mineral-rich province and a strategic route for the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has long witnessed militant violence. Separatist insurgent groups operating in the region have repeatedly sought what they describe as the “liberation” of the province from Pakistan.

Pakistan Railway Minister reacts 

Railway authorities said the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express was stopped at Quetta Railway Station after the blast as a precautionary measure, Geo News reported. Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi condemned the attack as a cowardly act of terrorism, adding that it would not weaken the nation's resolve against militancy.

He said hostile forces were involved in malicious activities aimed at spreading unrest and fear in Pakistan.

Slamming terrorists as "enemies of humanity", the minister asserted they would be "brought to a disgraceful end". Babar Yousafzai, the spokesperson to the home minister, said that all relevant institutions have been placed on high alert following an explosion in the city.
He urged the public not to gather near the blast site to ensure safety and allow emergency teams to carry out rescue operations without obstruction. 

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