QUETTA: A bomb blast in Quetta's Kuchlak area on Friday killed eight people whereas 22 others were injured, DawnNews reported.

The blast occurred at a political rally organised by the Awami National Party (ANP).

The rally was in its first 15 minutes when a cycle parked behind the stage exploded.

All injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

Local police official Wazir Khan Nasir had told AFP that the bomb had been planted on a bicycle, adding that those killed in the attack also included a young girl while six others were wounded.

Police and security forces reached the site of the explosion and cordoned off the area as an investigation went underway.

Panic and fear gripped the attendees after the blast as frightened people rushed to exit the scene. Some ANP workers resorted to aerial firing and markets and shops were shut in the vicinity.

Five vehicles were destroyed and as many electricity poles fell to the ground as a result of the blast impact.

Two children and an office bearer of the Pakhtun Students Federation (PSF) were among the dead.

The PSF activist was identified as Malik Qasim, the Central Vice President of the organisation.

President of ANP Balochistan and his wife were also injured in the attack.