The death toll from a blast that hit a railway station in Quetta, a city in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan Province, on Saturday, has risen to 27, according to health and police officials.
Media coordinator for the provincial health ministry of Balochistan, Waseem Baig, stated that the death toll rose after at least five injured individuals succumbed to their injuries during treatment.
The health official said that 62 people were injured in the bomb blast, and dozens have been shifted to a military hospital in the city for better treatment, adding that the death toll might further rise as several among the injured are in critical condition.
The attack occurred at around 08:20 local time (GMT 0320) on Platform No. 1 of the railway station in the provincial capital, where the Jaffar Express was ready to depart, Pakistan Railways said.
Military sources from Quetta reported that a suicide bomber detonated his explosive jacket in a crowd of over 100 people, including soldiers, railway police, and civilian passengers.
The proscribed group Balochistan Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack through a press release and on social media, stating that the target was a group of soldiers departing for their homes at the railway station.
Following the attack, authorities initiated snap-checks across various parts of the city and deployed additional contingents of police and law enforcement personnel to bolster security.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and instructed the hospital administration to ensure the injured receive the best possible medical treatment.
27 killed in blast in Pakistan's Quetta railway station
27 killed in blast in Pakistan's Quetta railway station
