Horror in Quetta: Train Blast Claims 23 Lives, Dozens Wounded

A suspected suicide bombing near a railway track in southwestern Pakistan has killed at least 23 people and injured more than 70 others after an explosives-laden vehicle detonated as a passenger train passed through Quetta, officials confirmed on Sunday.

The powerful explosion overturned two train coaches and set them ablaze, with thick black smoke seen rising from the scene in videos shared online. Witnesses said several nearby buildings were damaged, while more than a dozen vehicles parked close to the blast site were destroyed.

Hospital officials in Quetta said dozens of injured victims were rushed in for treatment, with at least 20 reported to be in critical condition. Security officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed that bodies of the victims had been taken to local hospitals.

The banned militant group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted a train allegedly carrying security personnel.

The bombing occurred in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province, where separatist insurgents have long carried out attacks against security forces, government facilities, and civilians. The mineral-rich region has witnessed years of low-level insurgency and violence.

Balochistan government spokesman Shahid Rind condemned the attack, describing it as a deliberate assault on innocent civilians. He announced that a medical emergency had been declared in hospitals across Quetta while authorities launched an investigation into the incident.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, described the bombing as a “cowardly act of terrorism” and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also condemned the attack, accusing militants of targeting innocent civilians, including women and children, and vowed that those responsible would be pursued.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari denounced the bombing and pledged that the country would continue efforts to defeat terrorism and its supporters.

The attack comes amid renewed regional tensions and continuing security concerns in Balochistan, where militant violence has persisted despite repeated government crackdowns. In 2024, a suicide bombing at a train station in the province killed at least 26 people, including security personnel.