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Islamabad. The big news of this time is coming from Pakistan. There was a massive explosion on a railway line here in Balochistan province on Sunday. At least 24 people have died in this blast, while more than 50 people are injured. At least 24 people were killed in a blast targeting a train carrying military personnel in Pakistan’s Balochistan on Sunday, a senior official said. Army soldiers were among those killed in the attack in the provincial capital Quetta, the official told AFP, while more than 50 people were injured.

The train, carrying army personnel and their family members, was heading from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan’s northwest, the official told AFP. The officer said the train was passing a signal at Chaman Pattak in Quetta, “when a coach loaded with explosives hit one of the coaches, resulting in a major explosion.” The blast shattered windows and destroyed nearby vehicles. Another official told AFP the army soldiers were traveling to celebrate the Eid holiday, which is due to begin on Tuesday.

Pictures showed a damaged carriage of the train overturned on its side, with people climbing over the debris searching for survivors. People could be seen carrying bloodied victims away from the derailed coaches on stretchers, while armed security forces stood guard. According to Geo News, windows and glass panels of nearby buildings were broken due to the impact of the blast. After the incident, emergency was declared in the government hospitals of Quetta. Doctors and medical staff have been called to handle the situation.

Railway officials said that as a precautionary measure, the Peshawar-bound Jafar Express has been stopped at Quetta railway station after the blast. Meanwhile, Home Minister’s spokesperson Babar Yousafzai said that after the blast in the city, all the concerned institutions have been put on high alert. He urged the public not to gather near the blast site, to ensure safety and allow emergency teams to conduct rescue operations without hindrance. Let us tell you that Balochistan is the poorest province of Pakistan and the largest in terms of area. It lags behind the rest of the country in almost every index, including education, employment and economic development. Baloch separatists accuse the Pakistan government of exploiting the province’s natural gas and abundant mineral resources without providing any benefits to the local population.

A statement has also come out from Pakistan Railways regarding this accident. In a post on Twitter, Pakistan Railways said, “Railways Minister strongly condemns the Quetta blast. This incident is cowardly terrorism, such attacks cannot weaken the national resolve. The shuttle train coming from Quetta Cantt was hit by the blast near Chaman Gate. Rescue trucks and relief vehicles were sent to the spot for relief operations.”