At least three passengers were killed and 17 others sustained serious injuries after a bomb planted on the track went off when Khushhal Khan Khattak Express was near Kotla Hassan Shah Friday morning.
According to DCO Rajanpur Ghazi Amanullah, six coaches of Peshawar-Karachi Khushhal Khan Khattak Express were derailed as a result of explosion. Rescue 1122 has shifted injured to DHQ hospital Rajanpur. The site of the mishap is almost 40 kilometre away from Rajanpur city. The rescue operation was in progress as some with minor injuries were given first aid on the spot and those serious were shifted to hospital.
The blast created about five feet crater at the site. Four coaches of the train were damaged badly.
According to DCO, the Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq has announced Rs. 500,000 financial compensation for the legal heirs of the dead and Rs 100,000 for each injured.
The incident occurred at around 9:35 am Friday morning near Mouza Kotla Hassan Shah on the rail track between Umarkot and Kot Mithan railway stations.
Two relief trains have been dispatched from Multan and Sukkur and both are expected to reach the site within next few hours.
Rescue 1122 teams from Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan have reached the spot and were actively engaged in rescue and relief operation.
Technical teams of Pakistan Railways from Multan, Lahore, DG Khan and Sukkur have already reached the spot and were busy in repairing the track which would take at least 12 hours to complete.
The injured persons were undergoing treatment at the DHQ hospital Rajanpur.