At least 23 people were killed and 71 others injured when a suicide bomber attacked a passing train near a railway station in Quetta, southwestern Pakistan, on Sunday.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), an extremist group seeking independence from Pakistan’s central government, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Police said preliminary investigations suggest the explosion was a suicide bomber.
Rescue and evacuation operations are still continuing at the scene, said Muhammad Zeeshan, one of the emergency workers. Authorities have sealed off the area and security forces and bomb disposal teams are investigating the nature of the explosion.
At least 23 bodies were recovered from the scene and 71 injured passengers were taken to hospital, rescue officials said. A state of emergency has been declared at hospitals in Quetta.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (City) Kadir Qambrani said the number of casualties could be higher, adding that more than 100 people are believed to be dead or injured, although rescue operations continue at the derailment site and figures are still being confirmed.
Quetta is the capital of Pakistan’s oil- and mineral-rich Balochistan province, which has been plagued by separatist violence for years. The BLA has previously claimed responsibility for large-scale bombings and suicide operations in the region.
In February, the BLA claimed responsibility for a suicide and gun attack in Balochistan province, in which Pakistan’s military said at least 33 people were killed.
