26 killed in explosion at train station in Pakistan

At least 26 people were killed and 62 injured after a suicide bomb ripped through a train station in Quetta on Saturday, local authorities and hospital officials said.

The incident comes a week after a bomb blast near a girls’ school and a hospital in Balochistan’s Mastung district killed eight people, including five children.

Pakistan, particularly the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has seen a sharp increase in terrorism-related incidents over the past year.

Speaking to Dawn.com, provincial health department spokesperson Wasim Baig said the death toll rose to 26 after two people succumbed to their injuries while 62 others were injured in the blast.

Quetta Division Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said the blast was a “suicide attack” mainly against law enforcement agencies, while civilians were also targeted.

Shafqaat added that gatherings have been banned in the area while the bus stations were on high alert, adding that the railways have been asked to close the station and suspend train services.

Speaking to Geo News, he said that in addition to civilians, “some law enforcement personnel” were also martyred.

According to Reuters, Balochistan Inspector General of Police (IG) Moazzam Jah Ansari said: “The target was army personnel from the infantry school.”

Although Baig did not confirm any details about the personnel to Dawn.com, AFP quoted him as saying: “Fourteen members of the military and twelve civilians were killed.”

Baig said according to AFP that 46 members of the security forces and 14 civilians were injured.

According to a list of injured people transferred to the Quetta Trauma Center and Emergency Department – prepared by General Manager Dr. Arbab Kamran Kasi and available on Dawn.com – 53 people between the ages of 20 and 50 were injured.

Six of them were said to be in a serious condition, while three had been moved to an intensive care unit.

Banned militant group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed responsibility for the explosion.

Pakistan Railways had earlier announced that train services between Quetta and Peshawar would be restored from October 11, after a suspension of over one and a half months.

Train services across the country were suspended on August 26 after a key railway bridge between Kolpur and Mach was destroyed in an explosion carried out by BLA as part of coordinated attacks across the province.