27 killed 62 injured after massive explosion rocks Pakistan's Quetta Railway Station, probe underway

A suicide bombing tore through a crowded railway station in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province Saturday (November 9), killing at least 27 people, including 14 security personnel, and injuring 62 others, officials reported.

The blast hit the Quetta railway station as passengers gathered on the platform to board the Jaffar Express, scheduled to depart for Peshawar at 9:00 am. Witnesses said around 100 people were on the platform when the explosion occurred.

Dr. Wasim Baig from the Quetta Trauma Centre said that so far, “So far, we have received 27 bodies and at least 62 people are injured, with some in critical condition.” Dr. Arbab Kamran Kasi, Managing Director of the Trauma Centre, warned that the death toll could rise, as several of the wounded remain in critical condition.

Authorities, including Quetta Division Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat, confirmed that the suicide attack targeted both security forces and civilians. “There are around 14 members of the law enforcement agencies among the dead and dozens more among the wounded,” he said, adding that the attacker had entered the station with luggage, making detection difficult.

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The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an ethnic separatist group designated as a terrorist organization, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group accuses the federal government of exploiting Balochistan’s resources while neglecting its development, though the government dismisses these claims, blaming foreign actors for inciting violence.

Security has since been tightened across public spaces in Quetta, with police on high alert. According to Balochistan Inspector General Moazzam Ansari, initial investigations suggest that the target may have been personnel from the Army Infantry School.

Emergency teams swiftly secured the station and transported the injured to Quetta’s Civil Hospital, where additional staff had been summoned to handle the influx of casualties. The powerful blast, which damaged the platform roof, was heard in distant parts of the city, eyewitnesses reported.

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This incident follows a recent surge in violence in Balochistan. Last week, a blast in the Mastung district killed eight, including five children. The BLA has also increasingly targeted Chinese nationals working in the province; a bombing near Karachi’s airport last month killed two Chinese engineers.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack, terming it as “a horrific act targeting innocent civilians”, and ordered an immediate investigation.

Pakistan, particularly Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has seen a surge in terrorist attacks over the past year. According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies, violence in the third quarter of this year rose by 90 per cent, resulting in 722 fatalities in 328 incidents. The majority of these incidents, accounting for 97 per cent of fatalities, were concentrated in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Fatalities in Pakistan this year have now surpassed last year’s total, reaching at least 1,534 in the first three quarters compared to 1,523 for all of 2023, the CRSS report noted.

With inputs from agencies