3 dead as bomb rips through Pak train

ISLAMABAD: At least three people were killed and 15 others injured in an explosion inside a compartment of a Karachi-bound train at a railway station near Toba Tek Singh city on Monday, officials said.

The Shalimar Express was on its way from Lahore, the capital of central Punjab province, to the port city of Karachi when the bomb ripped through the coach. Police and rescuers rushed to the site and started evacuating the injured to hospitals.

The train was crossing the railway station at about 1.00pm when the explosion took place inside an economy-class bogey. Police and railway personnel inspected the site and launched an investigation into the incident.

In Islamabad, the Ministry of Interior said intelligence tips about a possible terrorist threat had been shared with railway authorities. They were directed to increase security of trains.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, with a TV channels reporting that an anonymous caller had recently warned railway officials that the train would be bombed if a payment of Rs50 million was not made.

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