A powerful explosion ripped through a passenger shuttle train near Chaman Phatak in Quetta on Sunday morning, killing dozens of people and injuring several others in one of the deadliest railway attacks witnessed in the region in recent years.
The blast struck the shuttle train travelling from Quetta Cantonment to the city railway station shortly after 8am, according to railway officials and initial rescue reports. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and devastation as multiple train coaches derailed and overturned following the explosion.
Authorities said the explosive device detonated while the train was crossing the Chaman Phatak area, triggering a massive fire and widespread destruction. Several nearby vehicles also caught fire after the blast, while thick smoke engulfed the surrounding neighbourhood for hours.
Pakistan Railways confirmed that emergency response teams, relief trains, ambulances and rescue trucks were rushed to the site immediately after the explosion. Fire brigade personnel later managed to control the blaze following intense rescue efforts.
Security agencies, including the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and bomb disposal squad, sealed off the area and launched a full-scale investigation to determine the nature of the attack. Initial assessments suggested the explosion may have involved an explosive-laden device targeting the train.
Officials stated that the impact of the blast was so severe that it was heard across several parts of Quetta. Nearby houses, roadside infrastructure and parked vehicles also sustained significant damage.
Eyewitness footage circulating on social media showed mangled train carriages lying on their sides, burned vehicles and rescuers carrying injured passengers from the wreckage amid panic and cries for help.
Hospitals across Quetta were placed on emergency alert as ambulances transported the wounded for urgent medical treatment. Authorities warned that the casualty toll could rise further as rescue operations continued late into the day.
Some reports indicated that army personnel and their families were among the passengers onboard, travelling ahead of the Eid holidays. However, officials have not yet released a confirmed breakdown of the victims.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a terrorist attack and accusing “Fitna al Hindustan” of targeting innocent civilians.
Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi also denounced the attack, calling it a cowardly act of terrorism. He said railway operations across the country would continue despite the tragedy.
The latest attack has once again raised serious concerns over security on Pakistan’s railway network, particularly in Balochistan, where militants have repeatedly targeted transport infrastructure and security forces in recent years.
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