Pakistan's Jaffar Express's six coaches derail after blast near Jacobabad track (WATCH)

Jaffar Express derailed after a blast damaged railway tracks near Jacobabad in Pakistan. No casualties were reported, but rail services in the area have been halted as investigations begin.

A major rail accident was narrowly averted on Wednesday when six bogies of the Jaffar Express derailed following a powerful blast on the tracks near Jacobabad, Balochistan in Pakistan. 

The train, travelling from Quetta to Peshawar, was hit by an explosion suspected to have been caused by an improvised device. 

According to police, the blast reportedly left a 3-foot-wide crater on the track, and around 6 feet of the rail line was completely destroyed.

No casualties have been reported so far, but the incident has prompted the temporary suspension of all train services in the region. Security forces and railway officials are on site, and a probe is underway to determine the cause and possible perpetrators behind the blast.

Jaffar Express hijacking in March

Earlier this year in March, the Jaffar Express (Quetta-Peshawar) was travelling through a mountainous stretch near Sibi, Balochistan, when Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militants attacked it. They first detonated several improvised explosives on the track, reportedly up to eight devices, forcing the train to stop inside Tunnel No. 8, about 157 km from Quetta.

Militants boarded the halted train, separated passengers (reportedly targeting non-Baloch or security personnel), and took hundreds hostage, focusing especially on military, police, and security staff. Estimates range from 182 to 214 hostages of security personnel .

Casualties in Jaffar Express hijacking

According to Pakistan’s military, 33 BLA militants, including suicide attackers, were killed while the hostage fatalities were reported between 21 and 25 (later revised to 21 passengers and 4 soldiers).

BLA had claimed responsibility and issued a 48‑hour ultimatum demanding the release of Baloch political prisoners