Deadly Explosion Hits Quetta Railway Station, Killing 27 and Injuring 40

Explosion Strikes Quetta Railway Station, Killing at Least 27 and Injuring 40

Quetta-(Staff Reporter): A powerful explosion rocked Quetta’s railway station on Saturday morning, leaving at least 27 people dead and injuring 40 others.

The blast occurred as passengers were preparing to board, and officials warn that the death toll could rise. Rescue and security teams responded promptly, transporting the casualties to Quetta’s Civil Hospital, where some were also treated at the trauma center. An emergency was declared at the hospital, with medical staff summoned for urgent duty.

According to railway officials, the explosion took place near the ticket counter while two trains were scheduled to depart, and passengers were already gathered on the platform.

Security forces have sealed off the area and launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion. Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the provincial government, stated that police and security teams were on site, and a report on the incident has been requested.

He added that the exact cause of the explosion was under investigation, and an emergency has been declared in hospitals to handle the situation. Officials are also assessing the full extent of the damages.

Meanwhile, Quetta Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat has confirmed that the explosion was suicidal in nature.

Revealing that the suicide bomber entered the station with luggage, the commissioner said that it was difficult to stop a person whose intention was to carry out a suicide attack.

Speaking to Geo News, Shafqaat urged the people to donate blood due to blood shortage.

The official further confirmed that law enforcement agencies’ (LEAs) personnel were among those martyred in the attack for which a banned organisation has claimed responsibility.

The Jaffer Express was scheduled to depart for Peshawar at 9am, according to railway officials.

Officials informed Geo News that with several of the injured in critical condition, the death toll from the blast may rise.

Talking to the media, Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations Quetta Muhammad Baloch earlier said that the explosion seemed to be a suicide blast.

“The blast took place inside the railway station when the Peshawar-bound express was about to leave for its destination,” said the police officer.

The blast, which also damaged the platform’s roof, was heard far and wide in various areas of the city.

Talking to Geo News, Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind had earlier revealed that nearly 40 people were injured in the blast — of which 10 were in critical condition.

He further said that Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has summoned an emergency meeting regarding the province’s law and order situation and will shortly arrive back home after cancelling his foreign visit.

esponding to a query whether there was any specific threat regarding today’s blast, the government spokesperson responded in the negative. However, he acknowledged that a general security threat did exist in light of the prevailing law and order situation in the province.

The counter-terrorism department (CTD) issued a preliminary report of the incident, saying that the nature of the blast was suicide attack.

“The suicide bomber blew himself while being among the passengers. The body parts of the bomber will be sent to the forensic lab for testing,” said the officials.

They added that they will take help from the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to identify the attacker. “The bomber had a bag which contained 8 to 10 kg of explosive materials,” they said.

Condolences pour in

Condemning the deadly incident, Acting President Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani said terrorists were enemies of humanity who targeted innocent people.

Gillani reiterated the resolve to take all possible measures for the complete eradication of terrorism.

Meanwhile, Balochistan CM Bugti has directed the relevant officials to investigate the fatal incident.

The chief minister further reiterated the resolve to eradicate the scourge of terrorism from the province.

Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah also condemned the blast. Expressing sorrow, he said: “I am deeply saddened by the loss of lives in this act of terrorism in Quetta.” He added that anti-state elements are trying to create an atmosphere of fear.

Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal condemned the Quetta blast and expressed sympathy with the victims. “These cowardly attacks cannot weaken our resolve,” said Iqbal.

“We will bring the terrorists to justice,” he added.

Iqbal assured that the government would conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and affirmed that there would be no compromise in the commitment to progress and peace.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui also condemned the blast, saying that the rising incidents of terrorism in the country are deeply concerning.

He urged the government to ensure better arrangements for the treatment of the injured. “May Allah grant forgiveness to the deceased and patience to their families,” he added.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman termed the incident “truly tragic” and added that repeated acts of terrorism in Balochistan are raising questions about the country’s security.

He expressed heartfelt condolences to the affected families and called on the government to ensure the restoration of peace in Balochistan through urgent and concrete measures.

As per a report issued by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), the third quarter of the ongoing year witnessed a 90% surge in violence.

With a total of 722 people being killed, including civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, while 615 others were wounded in as many as 328 incidents recorded during the period under review, 97% of the se fatalities occurred in the aforementioned provinces.

Furthermore, over 92% of these incidents of terror attacks and security forces’ operations were recorded in the same provinces.

The total fatalities from three quarters of this year have now surpassed the total fatalities recorded for the entire 2023; the number of fatalities rose to at least 1534 in the first three quarters compared to 1523 in 2023.

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