Blast on train kills 12 in SW Pakistan

, Apr 8: At least 12 people were killed and 30 others injured in a bomb

on a train in

's restive southwestern Balochistan province today.

"The blast took place inside bogie number 9 of passenger Train Jaffar Express, which was on its way to Rawalpindi from Quetta," Qazi Hussain, DIG police Sibi said. The explosion set the train on fire and completely destroyed one bogie in which 80 people were travelling.

"We have recovered 11 dead bodies from the train. They have been burnt to charcoal," said senior police official Mohammad Nazar, adding one injured person died in hospital. The 30 injured are being treated at MS Civil Hospital.

"We have received the injured but no dead bodies have been brought to the hospital as of yet," Dr Ghulam Sarwar from the hospital told Express Tribune.

"It seems the explosive materials were planted inside the passenger train at Sibi railway station," a railway official said. Emergency and rescue teams were dispatched to the blast site, TV channels here reported. The Frontier Corps personnel and police have cordoned off the area.

PTI