QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo on Thursday demanded investigation into a train blast that killed at least two people and injured eight others while passengers from his province were traveling to the northwestern Peshawar city earlier in the day.
A senior police official confirmed the explosion took place in one of the washrooms shortly after the train departed the station in Mian Channu, a small town in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province.
“Deeply saddened by the death of two passengers and injuries of several others in the explosion on the passenger train,” the chief minister was quoted in a statement issued by his office. “It is hoped the investigation will be completed soon and the causes of the explosion will be found.”
Security personnel cordon off an area of the Chichawatni Railway Station in Pakistan on February 16, 2022, after an explosion on a Peshawar-bound train that killed two passengers. (AN Photo)
Regional Police Officer Mehboob Rashid told reporters at the Chichawatni Railway Station, the next train stop, that the nature of the blast was not yet known.
“One female passenger was killed in the blast while eight others were injured and shifted to the District Headquarter Hospital,” he said soon after the incident.
Rashid said the Bomb Disposal Squad and police officials had started investigating the incident, saying they would share their findings with the media later.
“We heard a powerful explosion at 7:45am when the train departed the Mian Channu Railway Station,” said one of the passengers while speaking to Arab News. “There was a plume of black smoke inside the compartment and people started pulling the emergency chain to stop the train.”
Investigators examine the train at the Chichawatni Railway Station in Pakistan on February 16, 2022, after an explosion on a Peshawar-bound train that killed two passengers. (AN Photo)
While no group has so far taken responsibility for the attack, Baloch separatist outfits have targeted the same train in the past.
Last month, at least 15 passengers were injured after the Balochistan Liberation Army bombed Jaffar Express near Sibi.
