15 killed , 30 injured in Pakistan's Quetta blast

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At least 15 people, including eight security personnel, were killed and 30 others injured in a bomb blast that hit a security forces' truck in the Pakistani city of Quetta, the provincial capital of the country's southwest province of Balochistan on Saturday evening, officials said.

Anwar ul Haq Kakar, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said that incident took place when a blast hit a truck carrying security personnel at 9:20 p.m. local time at a busy area of Pashin Chowk in Quetta.

Xinhua Photo

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the mouth piece of the Pakistani army, said that at least eight security personnel are among the 15 persons killed in the blast.

Rescue teams, police and security forces rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and injured to the Civil Hospital of the city.

Hospital sources said that the death toll might further rise as five of the injured are in critical condition.

Xinhua Photo

A state of emergency has been declared in all the hospitals of the city.

Nature of the blast is not known yet. However, some local media reports said it was a suicide attack, but officials did not confirm it yet.

Two cars, four rickshaws and two motorbikes parked nearby were burnt as a fire broke out after the huge explosion. Several buildings were also damaged due to the high intensity of the blast that was heard miles away from the site.

Xinhua Photo

No group has claimed for the attack yet.

Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain condemned the attack and asked the authorities concerned to provide best available medical treatment to the injured.

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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency