Quetta (Pakistan) [India], May 24 (ANI): At least 24 people were killed, and over 50 were injured in a devastating explosion that struck near the Chaman Phatak railway area in Quetta, in Pakistan's restive southwestern province of Balochistan on Sunday.

The attack, which authorities have described as a targeted operation, occurred as a train carrying military personnel and their families was passing through the city.

According to officials, the explosion was caused by an explosive-laden vehicle that struck one of the train's carriages as it passed a signal at Chaman Phatak. The force of the blast caused several coaches to derail and overturn others, reported Geo News.

The blast occured shortly after 8 AM and derailed three coaches, including the locomotive, while two coaches overturned, reported Dawn, citing APP.

Reports indicate the train, identified as the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express, was transporting military personnel and their families travelling for the upcoming Eid holiday.

Following the incident, an emergency was declared in government hospitals across Quetta, with doctors and medical staff summoned to handle the situation. Railway authorities said the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express was stopped at Quetta Railway Station after the blast as a precautionary measure, reported Geo News.

According to the Pakistan Railways, the Federal Minister for Railways has condemned the Quetta blast.

In an X post, the Pakistan Railways said that a shuttle train coming from Quetta Cantt was caught in a blast near Chaman Phatak. Rescue and relief operations are underway.

'Federal Minister for Railways strongly condemns the Quetta blast. The incident is cowardly terrorism. Such attacks cannot weaken national resolve. Shuttle train coming from Quetta Cantt caught in blast near Chaman Phatak. Rescue truck and relief train dispatched to the site for relief operations,' he said

Babar Yousafzai, the spokesperson to the home minister, said that all relevant institutions have been placed on high alert following an explosion in the city, reported Geo News.

While the current death toll stands at 24, officials warn that the number may rise as search and rescue operations continue. Over 50 people have been hospitalised, with several reported to be in critical condition.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the horrific incident, saying that the 'terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan' are proving their savagery by targeting innocent civilians, women, and children.

Taking it to X, he stressed that those involved in the attack will not be spared, underlining that Balochistan will hunt down and eradicate the terrorists, their facilitators, and their masterminds.

'I strongly condemn the terrorist incident near Chaman Phatak in Quetta. The terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan are proving their savagery by targeting innocent civilians, women, and children. Those who shed the blood of innocent people deserve no leniency. Let the enemy hear this: there will be no safe haven left for terrorists in Balochistan. We will hunt down the terrorists, their facilitators, and their masterminds one by one and bring them to justice, and this war will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated,' he wrote. (ANI)