Pakistan: 20 killed, over 30 injured in blast at Quetta railway station in Balochistan

At least 20 people were killed, and more than 30 others were injured after an explosion occurred at the Quetta Railway Station in Pakistan’s Balochistan on Saturday. At the time of the explosion, a train was ready to depart from the platform for Peshawar, reports Pakistan’s Dawn News.

Quetta senior superintendent of Police (SSP) operations Mohammad Baloch said the incident “seems to be a suicide blast” but it would be too early to say for sure, adding that an investigation was underway to ascertain the nature of the blast.

Speaking to reporters, SSP Baloch added that “around 100 people” were present at the site, Dawn News reported citing footage seen by him.

Mohammad Baloch, a senior police officer, said the bomb exploded when passengers were waiting for a train to travel to the garrison city of Rawalpindi from Quetta, the capital of the restive Balochistan province.

In a statement, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind said police and security forces had reached the site of the incident.

Shahid Rind said the nature of the blast was being investigated as the Bomb Disposal Squad was collecting evidence from the site, and a report on the incident had been sought.

Shahid Rind said the death toll from the attack was likely to rise as some of the wounded passengers were listed in critical condition.

The government official stated that an ‘emergency’ has been imposed in the hospitals there, adding that the “injured were being provided with medical aid,” Dawn News reported.

Pakistan’s largest and poorest province, resource-rich Balochistan is home to separatist militants.

Militants have in the past targeted energy projects with foreign financing – most notably from China – accusing outsiders of exploiting the region while excluding residents from the profits.

One of the militant groups – the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) — frequently claims deadly attacks against security forces or Pakistanis from other provinces, notably Punjabis.

In August, the BLA claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks by dozens of assailants who killed at least 39 people, one of the highest tolls to hit the region.