Pakistan: Three coaches of Jaffer Express derail due to explosion; 1 injured
Peshawar (PTI): Three coaches of the Quetta-bound Jaffer Express train derailed due to an explosion on Monday, leaving one injured in Pakistan's southeast Sindh province, officials said.
While railway officials said that it may take up to another five hours to restore the track from rain traffic, the Sindh administration has ordered an investigation into the incident.
Sukkur Railways Divisional Superintendent Jamshaid Alam said the Jaffar Express was travelling from Peshawar to Quetta when it got caught in an explosion near Shikarpur in Sindh Province. Rescue teams from Sukkur were immediately dispatched to start repair work.
"Following the blast, train operations have been suspended," Alam said, adding that passengers "faced serious difficulties due to the derailment".
This is not the first time the train has suffered such an incident.
In June, the detonation of a remote-controlled explosive device fitted to rail tracks derailed four bogies of the Jaffar Express near the cattle market in Jacobabad. No one was injured in the incident, but the attack was reportedly claimed by the banned Baloch Republican Guards in a statement.
On March 11, the train became the target of an unprecedented hijacking when terrorists fired on the locomotive and took over 400 passengers hostage.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
