Terrorists, who had planted a bomb at railway track between Kot Addu-Dera Ghazi Khan section near Darvesh Lashari village, wanted to destroy an oil train which passed through at 02:15 pm, as it reached near Shadan Lund, it exploded violently. "We have repaired the track after six hours hectic efforts, however, Quetta bound Chiltan Express delayed only for one hour. It was a sabotage to destroy an oil train and it would have been a catastrophic incident had the bomb exploded when the train was running in that area," Divisional Superintendent Railway Ahsan Mehmood told newsmen.

A bomb of high intensity exploded near village Darvesh Lashari (Shadan Lund), some 125-kilometre north-west of Multan on Monday, resultantly a four feet deep ditch developed and railway track badly hit from both sides.

"It was a sabotage and a case has been registered by Kot Mubarak police station, while bomb disposal squad had collected the splinters of the bomb," said Multan Railway SSP Ahmed Mukhtar.

Divisional Superintendent Railway Ahsan Mehmood further said that incident took place at 02:20 pm on Monday when an oil train had just crossed this area.

No passenger train was due on the track between Kot Addu-Dera Ghazi Khan Kashmore section, which damaged the track badly however, the track was repaired on emergency basis under the supervision of Assistant Engineer Abdul Ghafoor, he added.

He told newsmen that Peshawar bound Khushal Express had to cross that area at 06:35 pm, while Quetta bound Chiltan express had to reach there at 09:30 pm and Lahore bound Chiltan Express, coming from Quetta, passed that area at 08:00 am on Monday.

However, it would have been catastrophe had the bomb exploded at the time of train arrival, Railway DSP Chaudhry Muzaffar Ali said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005