Pakistan: At Least 30 Dead and 103 Injured as Train Derails After Bomb Explosion
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- A powerful bomb caused a passenger train to derail in southwest Pakistan, killing at least 30 people and injuring 103.
- The incident occurred in the province of Balochistan, a region with a history of separatist conflict.
- Authorities are investigating the explosion and suspect separatist groups, including the Balochistan Liberation Army, may be responsible.
At least 30 people died and 103 were injured when a powerful bomb caused a passenger train to derail in southwest Pakistan on Sunday. The explosion occurred in the province of Balochistan, an area that has experienced a prolonged and violent separatist conflict.
Authorities are actively investigating the nature of the blast, which occurred near Quetta, the provincial capital. Police fear the death toll may rise. Initial reports indicate that three train carriages and the locomotive completely derailed. Rescue services have cordoned off the area, and local hospitals have been placed on emergency footing.
the "horrenda" explosion of Chaman Phatak, that has described as a "cowardly act of terrorismo"
While the perpetrators have not yet been definitively identified, authorities are not ruling out the possibility of an attack by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) or other separatist groups. These groups have previously carried out similar attacks. Last year, the BLA was suspected of derailing a passenger train, an incident that led to a shootout and resulted in over 20 deaths.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the explosion at Chaman Phatak as a "cowardly act of terrorism." The chief minister of the province, Sarfraz Bugti, pointed fingers at "Fitna al Hindustan," a term used to refer to the BLA and other separatist organizations, as the likely culprits behind the attack.
the "Fitna al Hindustan", the name that receives both the ELB and other separatist groups, as responsible for what happened.
Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.