Children among 11 killed in Quetta bus explosion

Published October 19, 2015
-DawnNews screengrab shows mangled posterior of the bus after the explosion.
-DawnNews screengrab shows mangled posterior of the bus after the explosion.

QUETTA: An explosion occurred on a bus terminal located on Quetta's Saryab road, killing at least 11 people and wounding many more, said rescue officials.

The explosion occurred inside a local city bus at the Dukani Baba Chowk area on Saryab road, which had up to 40 passengers on board at the time of the bombing. The registration number of the bus was confirmed as BSA-348.

Rescue personnel confirmed that two children were among the dead.

"More than 20 people have been injured," said Javed Gharheen, a senior police official.

All the injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta, where an emergency had been declared.

Six of the injured were in critical condition, according to rescue personnel.

The chief minister of Balochistan, Dr Malik Baloch, strongly condemned the bombing and termed it "a conspiracy against durable peace in Balochistan."

DawnNews screengrab.
DawnNews screengrab.

Traffic remains suspended on Saryab road, regarded as a sensitive area in Quetta, which was cordoned off by security officials after the incident.

According to initial reports, the explosion was heard in a wide area and shattered windows in the nearby vicinity.

Earlier in July, at least two people were killed in a suicide explosion near Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University at Quetta's Brewery road.

Read: Suicide blast at Quetta's Brewery road kills two

Balochistan has been experiencing incident violence and targeted killings since more than a decade. More than 1,400 incidents targeting the minority Shia and Hazara community have taken place in the province during the past 15 years.

The largest province of the country by area, is home to a low-level insurgency by ethnic Baloch separatists. Al Qaeda-linked and sectarian militants also operate in the region.

The province shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran.

DawnNews report.

Also read: Two security personnel, three militants killed in Balochistan

Opinion

Editorial

Short-changed?
Updated 24 Nov, 2024

Short-changed?

As nations continue to argue, the international community must recognise that climate finance is not merely about numbers.
Overblown ‘threat’
24 Nov, 2024

Overblown ‘threat’

ON the eve of the PTI’s ‘do or die’ protest in the federal capital, there seemed to be little evidence of the...
Exclusive politics
24 Nov, 2024

Exclusive politics

THERE has been a gradual erasure of the voices of most marginalised groups from Pakistan’s mainstream political...
Counterterrorism plan
Updated 23 Nov, 2024

Counterterrorism plan

Lacunae in our counterterrorism efforts need to be plugged quickly.
Bullish stock market
23 Nov, 2024

Bullish stock market

NORMALLY, stock markets rise gradually. In recent months, however, Pakistan’s stock market has soared to one ...
Political misstep
Updated 23 Nov, 2024

Political misstep

To drag a critical ally like Saudi Arabia into unfounded conspiracies is detrimental to Pakistan’s foreign policy.