At least 24 people were killed and over 82 others got severely injured after a powerful blast ripped through a railway line in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Sunday, May 24.
Pakistan Army servicemen were among the victims of the attack in the provincial capital Quetta, officials told AFP.
The blast targeted a shuttle of the Jaffar Express that was carrying law enforcement personnel heading home for the upcoming Eid holidays.
Notably, the train had departed from Quetta Cantonment when the explosion occurred around 8:05 a.m. (local time), Xinhua reported, citing sources.
Reacting to the incident, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X, “I strongly condemn the heinous bomb explosion near Chaman Phatak, Quetta, which has resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives and left many others injured. Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan.”
He added, “We remain steadfast in our determination to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and pray for the swift recovery of the injured. The entire nation stands in solidarity with the people of Balochistan in this hour of grief.”
I strongly condemn the heinous bomb explosion near Chaman Phatak, Quetta, which has resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives and left many others injured.
Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan. We remain steadfast in our…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 24, 2026
Multiple bogies of the train derailed and two of them caught fire following the blast, which also severely damaged multiple vehicles parked in the area. The impact of the explosion even shattered windows and glass panels of nearby buildings, local media reports said.
The incident took place near Chaman Phatak railway station in Quetta.
As per reports, 57 injured people were shifted to a military hospital and 25 others were taken to the Civil Hospital in Quetta for treatment.
During preliminary investigation into the matter, it was suggested that the blast was carried out using a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device packed with over 70 kg of explosives.
On social media, multiple images and videos have shown a mangled train carriage on its side with people clambered over the wreckage to look out for the survivours.
Even locals as well as security officials can be seen carrying blood-soaked victims on stretchers away from a derailed car, as armed security forces stood guard.
Officials informed that the train was carrying Pakistan Army personnel as well as their family members Quetta to Peshawar. While passing through a signal at Chaman Pattak in Quetta, an “explosive-laden car hit one of the carriages that resulted in a big blast”, AFP quoted an official as saying.
Balochistan lags behind other parts of Pakistan in almost every index, including education, employment and economic development.
Baloch separatists have time and again accused the Pakistan’s government of neglecting the people and exploiting its natural gas and abundant mineral resources without benefiting the local population.