At least four passengers were injured on Tuesday after four carriages of the Jaffar Express derailed near Sultan Kot in Shikarpur, following an explosion on the railway track.
According to security officials, the Jaffar Express was en route from Peshawar to Quetta when the blast struck. Several passengers sustained injuries as the train jolted violently, causing panic among those on board.
A spokesperson for Pakistan Railways confirmed that rescue and emergency teams had been dispatched to the site. The explosion temporarily disrupted train operations in the area, while security personnel cordoned off the track to conduct an investigation.
Police officials said the explosion occurred just as the train was passing through Sultan Kot Station. The four injured passengers were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
This marks the second attack on the Jaffar Express in recent weeks. On September 23, the same train was targeted by a similar blast a few kilometres from Quetta, between Degari Cross, Spezand, and Sariab stations. That explosion derailed the engine and five coaches, leading to a suspension of Jaffar Express services for several days.
Earlier, on September 29, another train — the 146 DN Sukkur Express — derailed near Hyderabad, when three bogies went off track while the train was heading from Sukkur to Karachi.
In light of the increasing incidents, the Interior Ministry in August decided to seek assistance from the Frontier Constabulary (FC) to help Pakistan Railways (PR) secure railway tracks, rolling stock, and reclaim illegally occupied railway land across major urban centers.
During a meeting at the PR headquarters, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi of full FC support for joint operations to protect critical infrastructure and reclaim encroached land.