GWADAR: A motorcycle bomb blast rocked the main bazaar of Turbat, killing one man on the spot and leaving seven others injured on Tuesday.

At least three shops, including an auto spare parts shop, and several vehicles were destroyed in the explosion for which no group claimed responsibility till the late hours of Tuesday evening.

Prime Minister Imran Khan in a statement issued by the PM Office condemned the blast, expressed grief over the loss of a life and ordered the relevant authorities to provide best medical treatment to the injured.

While describing their condition as serious, officials said two of the injured would be shifted to Karachi for treatment.

Speaking to Dawn, Turbat district police officer Najeeb Pandrani said: “An improvised explosive device planted in a motorcycle has been used for the blast. The miscreants parked it on the roadside in front of an auto spare parts shop.”

He said the explosive device might have been detonated by remote control. He said investigation was under way.

Soon after the explosion, personnel of Frontier Corps and police cordoned off the entire area and shifted the body and the injured to the Turbat district hospital, where the government declared a state of emergency.

Police identified the deceased as Amjad Hussain and six of the injured as Mohammad Saleem, Obaibullah, Subhan, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Yaqoob, Salman and Shah Mureed. The name of one injured could not be ascertained immediately.

Hospital officials said: “We have received a body and seven injured in the hospital.” They described the condition of two injured as serious and said they would be referred to Karachi for treatment.

“The target of the blast is unknown so far,” the police said, adding that the target might have been a vehicle of security forces. However, no vehicle of security forces was found near the blast site. “All victims who have been admitted to the district hospital are civilians,” police said.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2020