QUETTA: Several people are feared dead after a powerful blast ripped through a shuttle train near Chaman Phatak in Quetta on Sunday morning.
According to state-run APP, citing railway authorities, the shuttle train was travelling from Quetta Cantonment to the main railway station when it was targeted shortly after 8am near Chaman Phatak.
The exact nature of the explosion could not be immediately determined.
Pakistan Railways confirmed the blast and said that rescue trucks along with a relief train were dispatched to the site to support emergency response operations.
The explosion caused significant damage, derailing three coaches including the locomotive, while two additional coaches overturned, APP reported.
Following the incident, security forces quickly cordoned off the area and launched a rescue operation. The blast was reportedly so intense that it was heard in several distant parts of the city and also damaged nearby houses.
A fire that erupted in nearby vehicles was brought under control after intensive efforts involving multiple fire brigade vehicles.
Footage from the scene showed around 10 vehicles, mostly small cars, completely charred as flames and thick black smoke rose from the area. In another video, multiple ambulances were seen arriving at the location to assist the injured.
Earlier visuals also showed large plumes of smoke rising from a severe blaze, with at least one train coach overturned at some distance while another remained on the track.
Police, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), andthe bomb disposal squad reached the site to begin investigations into the incident. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the “terrorist attack,” saying that “the terrorists of Fitna al Hindustan are proving their savagery by targeting innocent civilians, women, and children.”
The state has labeled certain Balochistan-based militant groups as “Fitna-al-Hindustan,” alleging Indian involvement in terrorism and destabilisation activities in Pakistan. Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi also condemned the “cowardly act of terrorism,” stating that such attacks would not weaken the country’s resolve against militancy.
In an official statement, Abbasi said that “anti-Pakistan elements operating from India and Afghanistan were sponsoring terrorism to destabilise the country.” He directed the concerned authorities to submit an immediate report on the incident.
The minister further assured that Pakistan Railways’ operations would continue without interruption despite the attack. He said hostile forces were engaged in activities aimed at spreading fear and unrest in the country.
Calling the attackers “enemies of humanity,” Abbasi stated that they would be “brought to a disgraceful end,” adding that terrorist networks operating from India and Afghanistan would never succeed in their designs against Pakistan.