26 killed as explosion rocks railway station in southwestern Pakistan

ISLAMABAD/ISTANBUL – At least 26 people were killed and 46 others were hurt in a bomb explosion at Quetta city railway station in southwestern Pakistan early Saturday, police said.

A local police official earlier said that the incident seemed to be a suicide bombing.

The explosion hit a ticket counter at the station in the Balochistan provincial capital of Quetta.

Initial reports indicated the blast occurred when the train was about to leave the station for Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Given the usual high foot traffic at the station, authorities feared that the number of casualties may still rise.

Police and rescue teams quickly arrived at the scene as emergency measures were implemented at Quetta's Civil Hospital, with additional doctors and support staff to assist victims.

Pakistan has endured 785 terrorist attacks during the first 10 months of 2024, resulting in 951 deaths and 966 injuries, reflecting a persistently high level of violence across the country, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank.

Though terror attacks and bombings have dropped in Pakistan, October emerged as the second-deadliest month of the year as fatalities rose to 198.

Fatalities included 98 terrorists, 62 security personnel and 38 civilians. (PNA)