• 14 lives lost; at least 20 in hospital, toll expected to rise further as rescue efforts continue
• Powerful blast causes fire, widespread damage in nearby residential areas
• Dozens of vehicles destroyed, explosion leaves massive crater at the site
• Outlawed terror outfit BLA ‘claims responsibility’

QUETTA: The provincial capital of Balochistan was rocked by another major terrorist attack when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a packed shuttle train, near the Chaman railway crossing on Sunday.

The train was transporting more than 350 passengers to Quetta railway station to board the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express.

At least 14 people, including women and children, lost their lives in the attack, while 20 injured were taken to hospital, officials said. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.

Scenes of devastation unfolded across the area within moments after the explosion, with photos and video from the scene showing overturned and mangled train carriages lying beside the tracks as survivors and rescuers climbed over twisted metal, searching for the injured.

Victims, including women and children, were carried away on stretchers while smoke billowed from the wreckage. Burnt-out vehicles, shattered nearby homes and debris strewn across the area painted a grim picture of destruction.

Many of the victims were civilians, mainly passengers, pedestrians, and residents living along the railway track, according to officials and hospital sources.

Following the attack, the Jaffar Express’ journey to Peshawar was cancelled, while railway authorities dispatched rescue and relief teams to the blast site.

BLA claims responsibility

The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing and released a photograph of the alleged bomber.

The statement came as a grim reminder of the March 2025 train hijacking by the BLA, which culminated in the killing of 33 terrorists, and hostages being safely recovered.

According to police, the suicide bomber had parked an explosives-laden vehicle near the Quetta-Chaman railway track, which detonated as the shuttle train passed by on Sunday.

The blast overturned two bogies, derailed another carriage and the locomotive, triggered a massive fire and left a several feet deep crater at the site.

The overturned bogies quickly caught fire, trapping and injuring passengers inside. Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos as flames engulfed parts of the train and cries for help echoed through the area.

The explosion also devastated nearby residential neighbourhoods. Roofs collapsed, walls crumbled and windows and doors were blown apart in houses lining both sides of the railway track. Many residents were reportedly trapped beneath the rubble, while casualties were also reported in a government employees’ colony nearby.

“No homes remained safe in the residential areas,” a local said, as rescue workers struggled to reach the injured amid piles of debris and shattered concrete.

“I and my family were sleeping when a horrible blast rocked the entire area,” said a lady doctor who lives nearby. “Our house and many others started collapsing. By the grace of Allah, we survived, but there were many casualties around us.”

Soon after the blast, gunfire was also reported as security forces and police rushed to the area, cordoned it off and launched rescue operations alongside emergency workers.

Hospitals on high alert

Bodies and the injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta, where an emergency was declared by Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar. Other hospitals in the city were also placed on high alert. The government said emergency measures had been enforced immediately after the attack, with doctors, paramedics and medical staff called in urgently to treat the wounded.

Hospital officials said several injured victims remained in critical condition, warning that the death toll could rise further. While majority of the victims were civilians, among the martyrs were also three Frontier Corps personnel, they said.

Meanwhile, officials said, firefighters continued to battle the flames and finally brought the blaze under control after hours-long operation. Around 40 vehicles parked near the site were completely gutted, police said. Many others were damaged in the explosion.

The blast site has been sealed off while investigators and forensic teams continue collecting evidence.

In an official statement, the government of Balochistan described the attack as a “cowardly act of terrorism” aimed at targeting innocent civilians and disrupting peace and stability in the province.

The statement confirmed that the majority of those killed and injured were civilians, including passengers, bystanders and residents of nearby homes.

Authorities have established a central control room at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Quetta and activated a monitoring and coordination cell at the Home Department to oversee relief and security operations.

Federal and provincial authorities strongly condemned the attack and vowed that those responsible, along with their facilitators, would be brought to justice.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2026