QUETTA: At least 24 people were killed on Sunday (May 24) in a blast targeting a train carrying military personnel in Pakistan’s turbulent southwestern province of Balochistan, a senior official said.

Army servicemen were among the victims in the attack in the provincial capital Quetta, which left more than 50 people injured, the official told AFP.

Images showed a mangled train carriage on its side as people clambered over the wreckage to find survivors.

People could be seen carrying blood-soaked victims on stretchers away from a derailed car, while armed security forces stood guard.

The official told AFP that the train carrying army personnel and their family members was going from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan’s northwest.

The train was passing a signal at Chaman Pattak in Quetta “when an explosive-laden car hit one of the carriages that resulted in a big blast”, the official said.

Windows were blown out and nearby vehicles were destroyed in the explosion.

Another official told AFP that the army personnel were travelling to celebrate the Eid holiday, which is due to start on Tuesday.

Balochistan is Pakistan’s poorest province and largest by landmass. It lags behind the rest of the country in almost every index, including education, employment and economic development.

Baloch separatists accuse Pakistan’s government of exploiting the province’s natural gas and abundant mineral resources without benefiting the local population.

Separatist militant group Baloch Liberation Army said in a statement to the media that it had carried out the attack and described it as a suicide bombing. Reuters could not independently verify the claim.

“RUNNING FOR SHELTER”

Mohammad Rahim, who was near the site of the attack, told AFP he was sleeping when the explosion ripped through the area.

“My family and I jumped out of our beds when we heard a loud bang,” he said. 

“I heard screaming and the crying of women and children in the building, including my family.”

Another witness, Abdul Basit, told AFP he was standing in a queue to buy breakfast when he heard the blast.

“People started running for shelter,” he said.

Mujib Ahmad said that his car was damaged in the explosion.

“When I heard the blast, I thought that it must be an attack,” he said.

“I came out of the building and saw the devastation and my car was completely damaged.”

A police official told AFP the weight of the improvised explosive device used in the attack was around 35kg.

They said that police and security agencies were investigating the attack.