ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has announced the closure of Quetta-Taftan railway track following the breakout of coronavirus in Iran.
In a video message on Wednesday, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said all the four trains plying between Quetta and Taftan will remain suspended till Quetta-Taftan border remains closed.
The minister has asked the passengers to take back their booked luggage and other things.
Earlier on Sunday last, the government of Pakistan imposed emergency in all of the districts of Balochistan province sharing border with Iran with immediate effect and closed the border at Taftan after coronavirus deaths were reported in the neighbouring country.
Iranian state television reported Wednesday that 19 people have been killed by the new coronavirus amid 139 confirmed cases in the country so far. The announcement by a state TV anchor came as Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour urged Iranians to avoid “nonessential travel,” particularly to the hard-hit provinces of the country such as Gilan and Qom.
The coronavirus has infected more than 80,000 people globally, causing over 2,700 deaths, mainly in China. The World Health Organization has named the illness COVID-19. – TLTP
Quetta-Taftan trains closed, says Sh Rashid
