QUETTA: The Quetta-bound Jaffar Express narrowly escaped disaster on Thursday when a bomb planted near the track close to Sibi Railway Station exploded just after the passenger train passed.

Pakistan Railways authorities confirmed the explosion, which occurred near the outer signal of the track linking Balochistan to the rest of the country.

`The explosive device was planted near the outer railway signal and detonated shortly after the train passed,causing significant damage to the track but leaving the train unharmed,` a senior official told Dawn.

However, the railway track was badly damaged in the blast.

`A portion of the railway track was blown up in the blast,` railway police officials said, adding that train service has been suspended after the explosion and Quetta-bound trains stopped at Jacobabad station. The repair of the damaged railway line has started.

Following the explosion, security forcesrushedtothescenetoinvestigate.

Preliminary findings revealed that the explosive device had been remotely detonated.