A powerful blast targeting a train carrying passenger and military personnel killed at least 24 people, including three border corps servicemen, on Sunday in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s restive southwestern province of Balochistan.
More than 50 others were injured in the attack, which occurred near the Chaman Pattak railway signal. According to local authorities, the explosion went off as the train passed by, causing three carriages to derail and two to overturn before catching fire. The force of the blast sent thick black smoke into the sky, heavily damaging nearby vehicles and buildings in an area where security forces are routinely stationed.
Emergency response teams rushed to the scene to extinguish the flames and transport victims to local hospitals. Initial field assessments had placed the death toll lower, but the figure tragically rose as critically injured victims succumbed to their wounds.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist group banned in Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Balochistan continues to suffer from a severe security crisis, accounting for 29% of the 5,397 terror attacks recorded across Pakistan in 2025, which claimed 1,235 lives.
Pakistani authorities have frequently noted that the province's long, porous border with Afghanistan is heavily exploited by militant groups to run safe havens and launch cross-border attacks.
