At least 13 persons were killed and 30 others injured in a car bomb blast on Arbab Karam Khan road in the provincial capital on Friday night. Police told APP that unknown armed men had planted explosive material near the house of Shafiq Mengal, the son of ex-state minister Mir Nasir Mengal. The blast caused death of at least 13 people and injuries of 30 others.
Earlier, CCPO Quetta Ahsan Mehboob said that eight people were killed and 20 others injured in the blast, however, later hospital sources said that death toll had reached 10 and 23 other including two children were injured. They added that six of the injured were in a very critical condition.
DIG Operation Quetta Nazir Ahmed Kurd said that unknown men after planting about 40 to 50 kg explosives in a car parked it beside the house of ex-minister Mir Naseer Mengal. They detonated the vehicle after one hour when Shafeeq Mengal, the son of Mir Nasir Mengal reached the house from Khuzdar district. He said the former minister, his son and other family members were safe.
The guards of the minister resorted to firing in air and manhandled some media persons who reached there for coverage of the incident. As a result, one journalist received injuries who was provided first aid at a local hospital. The armed guards did not allow media teams and police to stand near the house of the former minister. However, personnel of law enforcement agencies including Frontier Corps and police cordoned off the entire area.
Police sources told APP that explosive material was also planted in another vehicle parked there; however, it could not explode. Bomb disposal squad reached the site and defused it. About 50 kg explosive was used in the blast, a bomb disposal squad personnel said.
The explosion caused huge fire which engulfed the area gutting over one dozens vehicles and affecting three nearby houses. Police sources said that apparently Mir Shafeeq Mengal was the target of the blast. The victims include Dost Muhammad, Musawwar Khan, Abdullah Khan, Amanullah, Afzal Khan, Lal Muhammad, Javed Ahmed, Abdul Rasheed, Fazal Kareem, Muhammad Yunus, Abdul Kareem, Abdul Quddoos, Mola Bakhsh, Gul Muhammad, Muhammad Rafeeq, Abdul Qadeer, Khalid Khan, Karam Khan, Abdul Hameed, and Faisal Khan. Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani condemned the blast and directed relevant officials to initiate probe into the incident immediately.
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