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QUETTA: At least 25 people were killed and 62 others injured in a powerful suicide blast at Quetta Railway Station on Saturday morning. Earlier, the death toll was 24, later two more people succumbed to their injuries.
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 Reuters, Inspector General of Police for Balochistan, Mouzzam Jah Ansari said the target was army personnel from the Infantry School, adding that many of the injured were in critical condition.
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.
Health department spokesperson Wasim Baig told AFP that “Fourteen members of the army and 12 civilians were killed.”
“46 members of the security forces and 14 civilians were wounded,” AFP reported quoting a health official.
According to the list issued by the Quetta Trauma Centre Managing Director Dr. Arbab Kamran Kasi, 53 people aged between 20 and 50 years were wounded and shifted to the facility.
“Six of them were stated to be in a serious condition whereas three had been shifted to an intensive care unit,” he added.
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.
After the attack, train service was suspended from Quetta station, however, it was resumed after a brief suspension.
Pakistan Railways Headquarters, in a statement, said train operation has been fully restored in Quetta.
“Jaafar Express and Chaman Passenger have departed from Quetta towards their destination. Bolan Express also left for Karachi,” PTV News shared the statement.
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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