Quetta blasts leave 70 people dead, 120 others injured
QUETTA: Four bomb explosions took place in the provincial capital on late Thurday, leaving at least 70 people dead and 120 others injured, DawnNews reported.
Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a crowded snooker club, a senior police officer said.
The first suicide bomber detonated his device inside the club, then about 10 minutes later another attacker in a car outside the building blew himself up as police, media workers and rescue teams rushed to the site, a police officer told AFP.
Eight of the dead are reported to be police officials. A cameraman from a private television channel was also killed, along with four Edhi workers.
Two more explosions took place near Airport road, according to reports.
The injured have been rushed to local hospitals and are said to be in critical condition. Police said the bombings disrupted power supplies and plunged the area into darkness.
The attacks happened in a predominately Shia neighbourhood and banned sectarian group Lashkar-i-Jhangvi has claimed responsibility, Reuters reported.
The Hazara Democratic Party announced three days of mourning in response to the attacks.
Earlier on in the day, 12 people were killed after a blast that took place near Quetta’s Bacha Khan chowk.