Karachi: At least 10 people were killed and more than 30 wounded on Tuesday after a powerful car bomb explosion tore through a busy street outside the Frontier Constabulary (FC) headquarters in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province.
Balochistan Health minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar said that casualties could rise, reported Dawn newspaper.
The suicide blast was so intense that was heard miles away, across several areas in the city. Windowpanes of residential and commercial buildings were shattered, vehicles and two-wheelers were damaged.
There was gunfire soon after, adding to the panic and fear.
Police and rescue teams were rushed to the scene and the area was cordoned off.
The injured and deceased were taken to Quetta Civil Hospital, where an emergency was declared. Similar alerts were issued for BMC Hospital and Trauma Centre on the instructions of Health minister Kakar and Health secretary Mujeeb-ur-Rehman.
Security personnel launched a massive search operation in surrounding neighborhoods to search for leads and the culprits.
No group has claimed responsibility yet.
There are multiple separatist outfits, including the banned Baloch Liberation Army, which are active in insurgency-hit Balochistan. These outfits target civilians and security forces in their campaign for independence.