24 dead in Pakistan after suicide bombing near railway track

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy PATRICK HARRINGTON, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 09:28 BST, 24 May 2026 | Updated: 11:04 BST, 24 May 2026

At least 24 people have been killed and 70 more injured in Pakistan after a suicide bomber targeted a train carrying military personnel.An explosives-laden vehicle next to rail tracks in the southwestern city of Quetta was detonated as a train passed by, overturning and igniting two of the carriages - which produced clouds of thick, black smoke.An emergency was declared at the local hospitals receiving the wounded, with doctors reporting at least 20 are in critical condition.The bomb went off in an area where security forces are usually stationed and was reportedly followed by gunfire.Photos from the site show that several buildings were damaged, along with more than a dozen cars parked along the road - some of which were completely burnt out.A mangled train carriage lay on its side as people clambered over the wreckage to find survivors.People could be seen carrying blood-soaked victims on stretchers away from a derailed car, while armed security forces stood guard. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the incident, which he said 'resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives and left many others injured'. A powerful bomb went off next to a railway track in Quetta, Pakistan, derailing the train and causing two carriages to catch fire A Pakistani soldier aims his weapon from on top of a carriage as others inspect the damage At least 24 people were killed and a further 70 injured in the blast Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion will likely fall on the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) Thick black smoke could be seen rising into the sky over the explosionp site Army officials examine a crater left by the bombQuetta is the capital of the Balochistan province, which has been destabilised since the turn of the millennium by insurgency groups.The outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which demands independence from Pakistan's central government, has claimed responsibility for the attack.It said in a statement to reporters it had targeted a train carrying security personnel.Shahid Rind, a spokesperson for the Balochistan provincial government, said they 'strongly condemn the targeting of innocent civilians and are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives'. 'Terrorist elements deserve no leniency,' he added.He said that a medical emergency was declared at the local hospitals to deal with the many wounded, and that an investigation had been opened.Pakistani authorities claim to have suppressed the insurgency, but violence in Baluchistan has persisted.At least 26 people, including soldiers, were killed in 2024 when a suicide bomber attacked a train station there.Authorities in Pakistan have claimed the insurgency has been suppressed, but Baluchistan has not been rid of violence.In 2024, at least 26 people, including soldiers, were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a train station in Quetta.