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QUETTA: At least 24 people were killed and 46 others injured in a powerful suicide blast at Quetta Railway Station on Saturday morning.
Quetta Division Commissioner Hamza Shafqat confirmed the death toll, adding that the incident was a suicide blast which also resulted in the casualties of security personnel.
According to the railway authorities, the suicide blast occurred at the Quetta railway station’s booking office, minutes before the Jaffar Express was scheduled to depart for Peshawar at 9 am.
The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army’s (BLA) Majeed Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that the group had carried out a Fidayee attack — suicide bombing — at the railway station targeting military personnel.
Earlier, Quetta Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Mohammad Baloch told reporters that around 100 people were present at the platform when the explosion took place.
An emergency has also been imposed in Quetta’s Civil Hospital and police and rescue officials have reached the site of the incident.
Condolences pour in
Acting President Yousaf Raza Gillani and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls and for the bereaved families to bear the losses with fortitude.
Prime Minister directed authorities to provide medical aid to the injured. He also sought an investigation report of the incident from the Balochistan government.
Shehbaz Sharif said, “The terrorists who harm the lives and property of innocent people will have to pay a heavy price.” He further reaffirmed the commitment to eradicate the menace of terrorism.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti Saturday has strongly condemned the blast and expressed his deepest condolences over the tragic loss of life and those who sustained injuries.
The statement from the Chief Minister’s Office stated that CM Bugti contacted top officials in the province ordered the concerned authorities to investigate the incident and sought a detailed report.
وزیر اعلیٰ بلوچستان میر سرفراز بگٹی نے #کوئٹہ ریلوے اسٹیشن پر ہونے والے دھماکے کی شدید مذمت کی ہے۔ انہوں نے اعلیٰ انتظامی حکام سے فوری رابطہ کر کے واقعے کی تحقیقات کا حکم دیا ہے۔
وزیر اعلیٰ بلوچستان نے اس سانحے کو قابل مذمت قرار دیتے ہوئے کہا کہ معصوم افراد کو نشانہ بنانا دہشت…
— Chief Minister’s Office Balochistan (@CMOBalochistan) November 9, 2024
“The Chief Minister termed this tragedy as condemnable and said that targeting innocent people is a continuation of cowardly acts of terrorists,” the statement read.
Stating that “elements involved in various terrorist incidents” in the past have been traced, he vowed that the perpetrators behind the railway blast would be caught as well.
Bugti instructed health authorities to provide the best facilities to patients and impose emergencies in all hospitals.
Strongly condemning the incident, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives.
In a statement, Naqvi extended heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the attack and offered prayers for the swift recovery of the injured.
Naqvi emphasized that the terrorists responsible for targeting innocent people are undeserving of any leniency, reiterating the government’s commitment to bringing them to justice.
“Together, we will thwart this despicable conspiracy against Pakistan,” he stated, reaffirming solidarity with the affected families during this difficult time.
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