Blast targeting train kills at least 20 in Pakistan

Officials say the train had been transporting military personnel home for Eid when it was attacked by armed separatists. Pakistan: Blast targeting train kills at least 20 in Balochistan Video shows rescue operations after deadly Pakistan train blast Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. People and police officers gather after a blast near a railway track in Quetta, Pakistan Blast targeting train kills at least 20 in Pakistan Watch: Video from the scene shows torched train carriages and damaged cars Train carriage tipped on its side as a crowd of people climb on to it and grather around. At least 20 people have been killed and 70 others injured in an explosion targeting a train transporting military personnel in Pakistan. The blast occurred while the train was travelling through Chaman Phatak station in Quetta, the capital of the western Balochistan region, on Sunday morning. Railway officials told BBC Urdu that three coaches and the engine were derailed while two were overturned. The shuttle service had primarily been transporting service personnel and their families who had been returning home for Eid. The regional government said that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group was responsible for the attack, adding that it was a suicide bombing. The BLA had earlier claimed responsibility for the attack. Images from the scene show burnt-out and mangled carriages and nearby cars, as well as bomb damage to a nearby building. "The train was moving and there were passengers on board when the explosion occurred," Naseer Ahmed, a local resident, told the BBC. He said that, as it had been a Sunday morning, his family had been asleep when the blast happened, shattering all his windows. Eyewitnesses said a vehicle laden with explosives drove into the train, causing the explosion. A police officer and civil administration official in Balochistan confirmed to BBC Urdu that 20 people had been killed, with fears the death toll could rise. Officials said three soldiers were among the dead. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, saying "such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan". "The entire nation stands in solidarity with the people of Balochistan in this hour of grief," he added. An emergency has been declared in hospitals treating victims. Burnt-out cars are seen in front of a derailed train, while people stand around. Those aboard the train had been on their way to Quetta's main railway station from a nearby military encampment, officials said. From there, they were due to travel to Peshawar and then on to their home towns for the holiday. It is not the first time the BLA has targeted trains in Balochistan. In the past two years, the Jaffar Express has come under attack from the armed group many times. Militants hijacked a train and took a number of passengers hostage while en route to Peshawar in March 2025. hijacked a train and took a number of passengers hostage while en route to Peshawar in March 2025. The BLA accuses Pakistan's federal government of exploiting the rich mineral resources of its largest province without the local population benefiting. Balochistan covers nearly 44% of the country's land, sharing volatile borders with Iran and Afghanistan, and covering part of the Arabian Sea coastline. It is home to about 5% of the country's more than 240 million people. Violence between BLA fighters and Pakistani security forces erupted in Quetta and across the region in early February, leading to the deaths of 31 civilians. armed soldier and ambulance in Quetta after deadly attack Deadly gun and bomb attacks hit Pakistan's Balochistan province Reports, results and scorecards from Pakistan's tour of Bangladesh, featuring three one-day internationals, before two Tests in May. Sana Yousaf's murder highlights a pattern of violence against women in Pakistan, activists say. Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana claims 5-40 to help the Tigers beat Pakistan in a Test at home for the first time. At least 82 people have been killed and two are missing after a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China on Sunday, officials say. On China's tightly-controlled internet, people are calling for justice and questioning how this happened. The 43-year-old police officer and mother of three serves as the team's payload scientist. India Inc spent $18bn on global buyouts in 2025 and the deal value could cross $15bn in the first half of 2026. At least 82 people have been killed after a gas explosion at the Liushenyu mine in China.