Death toll in Quetta blast jumps to 83
Death toll in bomb blast at the Kirani Road in Quetta has now reached 83.
The death toll in the bomb blast at a vegetable market at the Kirani Road in Quetta has reached 83.
The powerful bomb in a water tanker ripped through a packed bazaar in Hazara town, an area dominated by Hazara community on the outskirts of Quetta on Saturday.
Some 180 people were also wounded in the attack, most of them seriously.
"We have recovered more dead bodies from the debris of a collapsed building. The death toll has now risen to 83," senior Quetta police official Wazir Khan Nasir said,
CCPO Quetta Zubair Mehmood said the water tanker, which officials said was packed with some 800 kilograms (1,750 pounds) of explosives, was placed near a pillar of a two-storey building, which collapsed in the blast.
"We fear that several people have been trapped inside. Rescue work is ongoing but I see very little chance of their survival," Mehmood said.
A spokesman for the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.
The blast was so heavy that windows of the nearby buildings were broken.
After information, police and rescue teams reached the site of occurrence and cordoned off the area but noon could be arrested during search operation.
The bodies and wounded persons were shifted to hospital for legal formalities and first aid.
According to initial reports a remote controlled device was used for the blast.
Governor Balochistan has announced one-day mourning in the province for the victims of the blast while one-day mourning will also be observed in Sindh. Governor also announced compensation of Rs one million for each victim of the blast.
