New Delhi: The Delhi-Lahore bus departed early Monday morning with 46 passengers on board amidst tight security, a day after blasts rocked two bogies of the trans-border Samjhauta Express near Patiala district, killing 66 people and injuring over 50.
Twenty-nine Pakistani nationals and 19 Indians, who boarded the fully air-conditioned Sada-e-Sarhad bus, left for Lahore from Ambedkar Stadium bus terminal in Central Delhi at 0600 hrs, IST.
Passengers were frisked and their luggage was thoroughly scanned before the bus left the station.
The bomb disposal squad also conducted a thorough check of the bus.
Samjhauta Express, which was attacked by terrorists early Monday morning, is a train of the poor people. It’s a train that unites the separated families of India and Pakistan.
At about 11.15-11.30 pm on Sunday night, two coaches of the train were ripped apart by powerful bomb blasts. Explosive devices were kept in three other coaches, but thankfully they didn’t explode.
The train was on its way from Delhi to Lahore and close to mid-night, near Panipat, two bombs went off in two coaches. The fire caused by the blasts charred many sleeping passengers.
The explosions were so massive that passengers had no chance to escape. “Two coaches were on fire, which was so intense that the area was lit up. People from a village came and tried to douse the fire. But the fire was so big that they failed to control it,” said Satbir Singh, an eyewitness.
(With inputs from PTI)
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