Islamabad: The death toll of a blast that hit a religious gathering in Mastung district of Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan province on Friday rose to 50, police and health officials said.
Confirming the casualties, Aetzaz Ahmed Goraya, deputy inspector general of Counter-Terrorism Department Police in the provincial capital city of Quetta, told Xinhua that the death toll increased after at least 30 injured people succumbed to injuries during treatment in various hospitals.
The police official said over 50 people sustained injuries in the bomb blast, and dozens are still under treatment in hospitals, adding that the death toll might further rise as several among the injured are in critical condition.
The explosion occurred near a mosque when people were gathering to celebrate Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, in the Kora Khan area of the Mastung district.
According to the preliminary reports and police investigation, it was a suicide attack. The relevant authorities are probing the matter and collecting forensic evidence to determine the exact nature of the explosion, said police.
Following the blast, security forces and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals in the district. A state of emergency has been imposed in all the hospitals in the district.
To mourn the unfortunate incident, the provincial government announced three-day mourning across the province following the tragedy, with the national flag flying at half-mast on government buildings during the mourning period.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
