Kalat Division Commissioner Naeem Bazai confirmed that seven people, including five schoolchildren, have lost their lives, and 17 others were injured in a blast in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday morning. Bazai stated that the explosion occurred around 8:35 am near the Mastung Civil Hospital, likely from an improvised explosive device (IED) attached to a motorcycle, detonated near a police mobile.
The injured were initially treated at Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital and Mastung District Headquarters Hospital, with 11 patients later transferred to the Quetta Trauma Centre (QTC), including a five-year-old girl and a teenage boy. According to QTC Managing Director Arbab Kamran, five of the transferred patients are in critical condition.
Footage from the blast site shows people inspecting a damaged rickshaw, while the deputy commissioner and assistant commissioner managed the situation at the hospitals. Bazai reported that the police have secured the area to prevent further incidents.
Mastung District Police Officer (DPO) Miandad Umrani shared that four police officers were among the injured. The deceased children ranged from ages five to ten. The explosion damaged a police van and several auto-rickshaws.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti condemned the attack, calling it “inhumane.” In a statement on social media, Bugti noted that terrorists have now “targeted innocent children and poor laborers,” referencing a recent attack on security guards in Panjgur. He expressed a firm resolve to avenge the lives lost, urging civilians to remain vigilant and emphasizing the need for unity to confront terrorism.
