Rescued passenger speaks out after Pakistan train hijacking and hostage taking

A survivor of a train hijacking in Pakistan has spoken out after the attack in southwestern Balochistan province on Wednesday, 12 March.

The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) attacked the train, which was traveling from the provincial capital, Quetta, to the northern city of Peshawar, according to a government spokesperson.

Hundreds of passengers were taken hostage. Pakistani authorities on Wednesday said insurgents have killed some of the hostages, as a standoff continued with the separatists wearing explosive-laden vests.

Passenger Noor Muhammad described how militants made him get off the train and get down, “or they would shoot.”

By late Wednesday, security forces had rescued 190 of the 450 passengers who were initially on the train, according to three senior security officials.