A powerful explosion has rocked Quetta Railway Station in Balochistan province, southwestern Pakistan on Saturday morning, killing at least 24 people, Samaa TV reported, citing officials. Around 60 more people have been injured in the blast, some critically.
The blast occurred near a ticket booth at the platform just as two trains were scheduled to arrive, including the Jaffer Express heading to Peshawar, railway officials said. A large number of passengers were present on the platform at the time, and the Quetta authorities said they expect the death toll to rise.
An emergency has been declared, and rescue teams have already started working at the site. A number of injured people have been taken to Quetta’s Civil Hospital and the local trauma center.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) insurgent group has claimed responsibility for the blast. The organization was banned in Pakistan in 2009 under the country’s anti-terrorism laws. In a statement posted on social media, the group said a suicide bomber targeted a Pakistan Army unit which they claimed was on the Jaffer Express train heading to Peshawar upon completing a course at an infantry school.
Security forces have cordoned off the area. Quetta Senior Superintendent of Police Operations Mohammad Baloch said in a statement that the authorities are investigating the BLA’s claim. He noted that the incident did “look like a suicide blast,” but it was still too early to say for sure. He said that a bomb disposal squad has arrived at the site and is currently working to determine the nature of the explosion.
Footage posted online showed the platform littered with debris and luggage, including what appears to be army backpacks.
Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, home to key mining projects and the ethnic Baloch minority. The BLA has long sought independence for the province from the central government in Islamabad.
The insurgents frequently target police and military forces in the region, as well as foreigners, especially Chinese nationals who are building infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. Apart from the separatists, Islamist militants are known to operate in the area.