A powerful explosion struck a moving train in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Sunday, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 50 others, according to media reports and local officials.
Authorities have so far confirmed 14 deaths, including three members of Pakistan’s Frontier Corps, while rescue operations and casualty assessments continued.
The blast occurred as the train was traveling from a military area of Quetta toward the city’s railway station. Local media reported that the explosion took place near the Chaman Phatak crossing, causing several rail cars to derail and triggering a large fire.
Images circulating on social media showed overturned train cars, burning vehicles and thick columns of smoke rising from the scene.
Witnesses said the explosion was heard across much of the city and damaged nearby homes and buildings.
“We thought a gas cylinder had exploded,” one resident said. “The blast caused extensive damage to our home. It was like doomsday here.”
The provincial government of Balochistan declared an emergency in Quetta hospitals as medical teams worked to treat the injured.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti and other senior officials condemned the attack and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
The separatist group Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the bombing.
The group, which seeks independence for Pakistan’s Balochistan Province, has intensified attacks in recent years, frequently targeting security forces as well as infrastructure and projects linked to China and the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The attack comes amid a broader surge in violence across Pakistan. On Sunday, security forces were also engaged in heavy fighting with militants in the northwestern district of Bannu, where police said more than 25 militants were killed.
Authorities said two police officers and two civilians were also killed in the clashes, while several others were wounded.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, has long been the center of an insurgency by separatist groups that accuse the federal government of exploiting the region’s natural resources while neglecting local communities. Islamabad rejects those allegations and says security operations are necessary to combat militancy and protect development projects.
