Survivors thank God, curse terrorists

Attari, Feb 19 (UNI) The Pakistani survivors of the blast in the Samjhauta Express thanked God and cursed the perpetrators as they eagerly awaited to be taken to their homeland, across the border.

''Jin darindon ne mazlumo per yeh kahar barsaya hai Allah unhe dozhak bakshey,'' (The monsters who have wreaked this havoc upon the innocents, may God burn them in hell),'' said Karachi's Haseena Begum. Her two little children clung to her, terror still writ large on their faces.

Haseena and her two children were among the 527 passengers who managed to escape unscathed from the blasts that charred two compartments of the Attari special train in which at least 66 people were killed, most of whom were Pakistani nationals.

The train runs non-stop from Delhi to Attari where the passengers are shifted to another train at Wagah, which goes to Lahore after customs and immigration clearances.

While waiting for the clearance, Mohammed Haroom of Lahore, who was injured, recounted his harrowing experience on board the burning train.

''There was a big explosion and I fell down from the upper berth on which I was sleeping. As I looked out it seemed as if ''Patri per aag daud rahi thi, (the flames were running on the tracks), said the 45-year-old man, escaped by jumping off the running train as it slowed and survived with minor injuries.

''Allah Tala ka Shukr hai ki hum madre watan ki mitti se ab sirf adha ghanta dur hain,'' (Thank God, we are only half-an-hour-away from the motherland) said Afzal, another survivor.

However, for Rasool Bakhsh, even the prospect of reaching home to Hyderabad soon, failed to bring much solace. The 55-year-old man from Sindh was inconsolable as he wept for his three family members who were untraceable after the explosion.

UNI