At least 18 injured as blast derails train in Bolan

• Blast was carried out by a remote-control device, says official 
  
• Emergency imposed in Sibi and Machh govt hospitals.
  
• Jaffer Express train was travelling from Machh to Sibi
  

In yet another terror incident in the restive province of Balochistan, at least 18 people were injured after a remote-control bomb detonated on a railway track in Bolan, forcing the train's engine and seven carriages off the track.

Railway authorities told the media that the injured had been shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Sibi.

The Jaffer Express train was travelling from Machh to Sibi, when the blast occurred, local authorities said. 

"A relief train was dispatched from Sibi to rescue passengers of the train and bring them to Sibi safely. Passengers on the Jaffer Express coming from Peshawar to Machh were stopped at Sibi and are now being brought to Quetta via buses," they added.

According to Deputy Commissioner Kachhi Agha Samiullah, the blast was carried out by a remote-control device.

On the other hand, the carriages of the derailed train are being lifted from the railway track.

Gasline explosion

The repair work on a 12-inch diametre gas pipeline that exploded in Bolan's Sirajabad area on January 17, disrupting the gas supply to some areas of Balochistan could not be completed.

According to the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), the repair work was delayed due to rain and would be completed in a week.

The SSGC also informed Gas is being supplied to Quetta and other areas from an alternate line for the time being.

After the pipeline burst, the SSGC took to its official Twitter handle: "The law enforcement and intelligence agencies are working to determine the cause of the damage." 

The SSGC also said the pipeline had been secured. As part of its response, the local administration has started work clearing up the surrounding area during the night.

Terror attacks

Balochistan has been under constant terror attacks with 110 attacks last year, becoming the second most vulnerable province in the country, according to the annual report issued by the Centre for Research & Security Studies (CRSS).

Over 250 people lost their lives in terrorist attacks and counter-attacks, whereas over 200 sustained serious injuries in the province. 

The last month of the year witnessed over two dozen attacks in quick succession, and that became one-fourth of the total fatalities that occurred in Balochistan, a province which has just 6% of the country’s population. 

According to reports, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Nationalist Army (BNA), the terrorist organisations, are mainly involved in terror incidents in the area-wise largest province of the country. In Balochistan, at least 14 major attacks took place mostly on security forces targets.

Security forces remained the primary target of terrorist attacks in the province.