QUETTA: At least five persons, including a woman, were killed and 13 others injured in two explosions that hit two vehicles in Ziarat area on Friday.

The victims of the blasts belonged to the Shia Hazara and Bohra communities who had gone for sightseeing to Ziarat from Quetta and Karachi. Among the dead were a husband, his wife and their son.

According to official sources, the first blast took place in the vehicle in which some members of the Bohra community belonging to Karachi were going to Ziarat to spend their holidays there.

The explosion took place when the vehicle was on its way to the Kharwari Baba shrine, located on the outskirts of Ziarat town. Three members of a family — Shabbir Abbas, Zainul Abideen and Khadija Bibi — were killed on the spot. The injured were shifted to the Trauma Centre, Quetta.

The second blast happened in the evening when a group of Shia Hazara community was returning to Quetta after spending the day in Ziarat valley.

The explosion occurred the van they were travelling in reached near the Kawas area, resulting in the death of two persons on the spot and injuries to nine others. The deceased were identified as Ali Sana and Habibullah.

“Five people were killed in the two blasts,” said retired Major Kabir Zarkoon, the assistant commissioner of Ziarat. He said that eight persons, who were injured in the second explosion, had been admitted to a health centre in Kawas. One man who received serious injuries was shifted to Quetta.

Levies officials said that in both the blasts explosive devices were used.

Initial reports said one of the incidents happened after a CNG cylinder exploded.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2019