At least 24 killed, many injured in blast near railway track in Pakistan’s Balochistan
Volunteers look for victims from an overturned train coach on a railway track at the site of a bomb explosion in Quetta, Pakistan. (Photo: AP)At least 24 people were killed and several others injured in an explosion near a railway track in Pakistan’s Quetta on Sunday, according to local media reports.
The blast occurred near Chaman Phatak as a train was passing through the area, triggering a fire and causing damage to train coaches, nearby homes and vehicles, reports said.
ARY News, citing local police, reported that the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the incident, describing it as a “fidayee” or suicide attack targeting Pakistani military personnel.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press (AP) reported that “more than two dozen people” were wounded in the explosion. Doctors told AP that hospitals in the area had received over 30 injured, with several in critical condition.
Geo News reported that the impact of the blast also shattered windows of nearby buildings, while emergency teams and firefighters rushed to the site for rescue operations.
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Authorities have yet to issue a consolidated official toll, and the number of casualties may change, according to reports.
This is a developing story and will be updated