At least 19 people were killed and 32 others were injured after a powerful explosion hit Quetta in Pakistan‘s Balochistan province. The bomb went off on the corner of FC (Frontier Constabulary) Headquarters on Zarghun Road in Quetta on Tuesday afternoon. Reports said that gunfire was also heard in the area after the explosion, spreading panic and fear among residents.
The blast was so powerful that it was heard across Model Town and adjoining areas and shattered the windows of nearby houses and buildings, according to Pakistani media reports.
Soon after, the gunfire was also heard in the area, spreading panic and fear among residents. Rescue teams and police personnel have reached the spot, and the area has been cordoned off for a search operation, according to a report by Pakistan’s Aaj news.
A CCTV video has emerged on social media showing the moment a powerful explosion hit a busy road.
Quoting Muhammad Baloch, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Special Operations Quetta, Dawn reported that the blast occurred as an explosive-laden vehicle took a turn from Model Town towards Hali Road, near the FC headquarters.
Fearing mass casualties, a state of emergency has also been declared in hospitals across the city. Authorities have also launched an investigation to determine the nature of the explosion.
According to Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar, 19 people were killed in the attack, including five individuals who died on the spot and several others who succumbed to injuries during treatment.
The injured and deceased were taken to Civil Hospital Quetta, where an emergency was declared. Similar alerts were issued for BMC Hospital and the Trauma Center on the instructions of Health Minister Kakar and Health Secretary Mujeeb-ur-Rehman. According to officials, doctors, nurses, and paramedics have been placed on emergency duty.
“Thirty-two injured have been taken to the Civil Hospital and Trauma Centre,” Kakar said, according to a Dawn report.
Before detonating their vehicle, four attackers who were inside the car stepped outside and engaged the troops in an intense shootout, according to the police. Residents said the blast was so powerful it was heard from miles away. Ambulances rushed to the site in front of the Frontier Constabulary and rescuers transported the wounded to nearby hospitals.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is expected to fall on separatist outfits active in insurgency-hit Balochistan. The province, of which Quetta is the capital, has long been the scene of attacks by groups such as the banned Baloch Liberation Army, which often target security forces in their campaign for independence.
