Today's Edition
(REUTERS)
A bomb blast hit a shuttle train in the southwestern province of Balochistan on Sunday, killing at least 24 people and injuring 70.
The shuttle train was carrying passengers from Quetta to connect with the Jaffar Express long-distance train when the blast struck near a railway track in the provincial capital, Pakistan's railways ministry said in a statement.
The explosion derailed the engine and three coaches, while two coaches overturned, the ministry said, adding that security forces had cordoned off the area and rescue operations were under way.
A security official said an explosives-laden vehicle hit one of the train’s bogies in a residential area, and that some of those killed were residents of a nearby apartment building.
Images from the scene showed burnt-out vehicles, damaged residential buildings, twisted metal and debris scattered near the railway track, with smoke rising from the wreckage.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned what he called a "heinous bomb explosion" in a post on social media website X. He expressed condolences for the victims' families and said the nation stood with the people of Balochistan.
