QUETTA: A bomb blast hit a shuttle train carrying Pakistani security personnel and their families in the southwestern province of Balochistan on Sunday, officials said, in the latest major attack claimed by separatist militants.
The explosion killed at least 24 people and injured around 70, according to three provincial government and security officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media, Reuters reported.
The force of the blast derailed the train and triggered a fire near the railway track, officials said.
The separatist militant group Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA, said in a statement to media that it carried out the attack and described it as a suicide bombing. Reuters could not independently verify the claim.
Police said initial investigations suggest the explosion was a suicide attack.
Fire brigade teams later brought the blaze under control.
Rescue sources said eight bodies had been shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta, while emergency services continued relief operations at the site.
Police said intense firing was reported in the area following the explosion, while security forces and rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene.
The sound of the blast was heard across the city, according to police officials.
The blast was so powerful that it shattered the doors and windows of nearby buildings, including Shehbaz Town.
At least four vehicles were also damaged in the blast.
Authorities imposed an emergency at all government hospitals in Quetta and summoned all medical staff on an urgent basis.
Balochistan chief minister’s special assistant for interior Babar Yousafzai said all relevant institutions had been placed on alert and urged the public to avoid gathering near the site of the incident.
“As soon as more details emerge, the media will be informed,” Yousafzai said.
After the explosion, railway officials said Jaffar Express, bound for Peshawar, was stopped at Quetta Railway Station.
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