Quetta: A suicide bombing at the Quetta Railway Station has resulted in the deaths of at least 24 people and injured more than 50, Media reported .
According to police, the attack took place on the platform as passengers gathered for the departure of the Jafar Express, scheduled to leave for Peshawar at 9:00am.
Law enforcement and rescue teams swiftly arrived at the scene following the explosion.
The blast occurred as the platform was crowded with passengers, causing widespread panic.
Emergency services were immediately dispatched, and the wounded were rushed to the Civil Hospital in Quetta, where an emergency was declared.
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, 50 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.
In response to the attack, Balochistan Chief Minister Sardar Baloch condemned the bombing and called for an immediate investigation into the incident.
He expressed his anger over the continued targeting of innocent civilians, stating that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
“These terrorists are now targeting ordinary civilians, workers, women, and children, and they will be held accountable,” Baloch said.
The banned militant group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Provincial government spokesperson Shahid Rand and Health Minister Bakht Kakr also spoke to the media, suggesting that the blast appeared to be a suicide bombing, and confirmed that several victims’ conditions remained critical.
“Seven injured persons are in critical condition,”
Meanwhile, the Quetta Division Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat and deputy commissioner of Quetta confirmed that the bombing was likely carried out by a suicide bomber who bypassed the station’s walk-through gates.
“The attacker entered through the open entry points of the station,” the Commissioner said, adding that authorities had initiated snap-checking in various parts of the city and that police and Frontier Corps had been deployed for increased security.
Pakistan Railways had resumed train services between Quetta and Peshawar on October 11, following a suspension of over six weeks.
The suspension had been enforced after a blast on August 26 destroyed a crucial railway bridge between Kolpur and Mach, an attack claimed by BLA as part of a series of coordinated assaults across the province.