Quetta railway station blast leaves 24 dead

At least 24 people were killed and 46 injured on Saturday morning in a bomb blast at Quetta Railway Station.

Speaking to journalists, Quetta Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Mohammad Baloch said that the explosion seemed to be a “suicide blast,” adding that an investigation is underway to probe the nature of the blast.

"The blast took place inside the railway station when the Peshawar-bound express was about to leave for its destination at 9 am,” Mohammad Baloch stated.

According to the SSP Operations, around 150-200 passengers were present at the Quetta railway station when the blast occurred.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed the casualties and revealed that several people were wounded in the explosion, out of whom ten were in critical situation.
 

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack and ordered an immediate investigation of the powerful explosion, noting that terrorists who target innocent people do not deserve any sympathy.

Meanwhile, the banned and militant outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the explosion.

Earlier, train service had been suspended in the province on August 26, following a blast carried out by the BLA, which destroyed the railway bridge between Kolpur and Mach.

Nine people, including five school-going children, had also been killed, and 29 were injured in a blast near girls schools in Mastung, Balochistan district on November 1.