By Abdul Adil
(AA, Dawn, Tribune, The Muslim News): At least 26 people were killed and 62 others injured in a bomb explosion at Quetta city railway station in southwestern Pakistan early Saturday, police said.
Dr. Abdul Sattar, Medical Superintendent at Civil Hospital, confirmed that the casualties included both men and women, with several in critical condition.
“Among the injured, 46 have been brought to Civil Hospital, where they are receiving immediate medical attention,” a hospital spokesperson stated.
The explosion, which appeared to be a suicide attack, also injured two railway police officers, Head Constables Ghulam Rasool Jamali and Bhoral Khan, according to SSP Operations Muhammad Baloch.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemning the bombing said, “These terrorists are now targeting ordinary civilians, workers, women, and children, and they will be held accountable.”
Initial reports indicate the blast occurred when the train was about to leave the station for Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Given the usual high foot traffic at the station, authorities fear the number of casualties could rise.
Police and rescue teams quickly arrived at the scene as emergency measures were implemented at Quetta’s Civil Hospital, with additional doctors and support staff to assist victims.
The banned militant group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the blast.
This attack comes a week after a bomb attack near a girl’s school and a hospital in Balochistan’s Mastung district killed eight people, including five children.
Pakistan has endured 785 terrorist attacks during the first 10 months of 2024, resulting in 951 deaths and 966 injuries, reflecting a persistently high level of violence across the country, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank.
[Photo: Security forces investigate the area after a bomb explosion at Quetta city railway station that killed at least 26 and injured 46 in Quetta, Pakistan on November 09, 2024. Initial reports indicate the blast occurred when the train was about to leave the station for Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Photojournalist:Mazhar Chandio/AA]
