Fourteen killed, 35 injured in Quetta blast

QUETTA: Fourteen persons including two children have been killed and about 37 others injured in a powerful IED bomb blast in Satellite Town area on Sariab Link road of the metropolis here on Thursday.

According to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Qazi Abdul Wahid, unknown men planted explosive material in a bicycle and parked it outside the gate of a religious seminary Jamia Islamia Miftahul Uloom, Satellite Town, Sariab, adding that the bicycle bomb exploded with big bang.

The DIG operations said that the bicycle was loaded with flower garlands and the police personnel deployed for security outside the seminary and other people took it as they were brought for the students who would get certificates in the ceremony inside the seminary.

He said that most destruction could occur if the bomb-laden bicycle was entered and parked inside the seminary. He, however, said that teachers and students of the seminary remained safe as they were inside the religious institution premises. He, however, did not tell which type of explosive material was used in the blast. He said that the religious seminary was target of the bomb blast.

The children died in the blast were aged between six to eight years. The condition of eight injured was told to be very critical. The bomb disposal squad sources said that the explosion was of IED type.

The law enforcement agencies personnel have cordoned off the entire area and launched efforts to trace out the suspects.