At least 24 people have been killed and more than 50 others injured after a powerful suicide car bomb struck a train carrying military personnel in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.
The deadly explosion occurred on Sunday as the train was passing through Chaman Phatak in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan. According to local officials, an explosives-laden vehicle rammed into one of the train’s carriages, triggering a massive blast that caused several coaches to overturn and burst into flames.
Images and video footage circulating online showed scenes of devastation, with charred train carriages, burnt-out vehicles, and thick black smoke rising into the sky. Several nearby houses and buildings were also severely damaged by the force of the explosion, according to reports from the scene.
A senior security official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the blast was caused when “an explosive-laden car hit one of the carriages,” resulting in widespread destruction.
The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which seeks independence for the resource-rich but impoverished province, claimed responsibility for the attack. The group has intensified its operations in recent months, frequently targeting Pakistani security forces and Chinese nationals working on infrastructure projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major component of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative that connects China’s Xinjiang region to Pakistan’s Gwadar port.
Reporting from Quetta, Al Jazeera correspondent Kamal Hyder said the explosion severely damaged the railway line and surrounding structures, leaving rescue workers struggling to clear debris and evacuate the injured.
Following the attack, authorities declared a state of emergency in public hospitals across Quetta. Doctors, nurses, and emergency medical staff were ordered to remain on duty to cope with the large number of casualties.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned what he described as a “heinous bomb explosion” in a statement posted on X.
“Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan. We remain steadfast in our determination to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” Sharif said.
He also expressed sympathy for the victims’ families, adding: “I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
Sherry Rehman, a senior member of Pakistan’s Senate and former ambassador to the United States, also denounced the attack. She noted that many of the victims were reportedly women and children travelling ahead of the Islamic festival of Eid.
“The perpetrators of such atrocities should know our citizens and security forces have spines of steel,” Rehman said.
The bombing is the latest in a series of escalating attacks in Balochistan, where separatist violence has intensified amid growing tensions over economic inequality, political marginalization, and opposition to Chinese-backed development projects in the province.
Security forces have launched an investigation and cordoned off the area as rescue and recovery operations continue. Authorities fear the death toll may rise as several of the injured remain in critical condition.
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