Four people, including a woman and two children, were killed and 10 others critically wounded in a mysterious explosion in the Faizabad neighbourhood of Quetta on Sunday.
“A car packed with explosives went off in the parking lot of a private residence, pulling down the facade of the building,” said Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Wazir Khan Nasar.
The explosion was so powerful that its bang was heard within a radius of four kilometres. The death toll and nature of the blast, however, remained unclear. While rescuers said six people were killed, security officials put the number of fatalities at four.
At least 10 people – four women and six children – were wounded in the blast who were driven to Quetta’s Civil Hospital.
Some of the critically wounded persons were referred to the Combined Military Hospital, according to medics at the Civil Hospital.
“We have recovered the bodies of a woman and two children from the debris and also found a severed head, believed to be of a militant who was killed in the blast,” police officer Mukhtar Ahmed told AFP.
Following the blast, police, Frontier Corps personnel and rescue workers rushed to the site and pulled out the victims from the rubble.
DIG Nasar said around 80 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the blast and investigations were under way to ascertain how the vehicle managed to land in the parking lot of a private residence. “We have detained a resident of the house for questioning,” he added.
Local residents said the house belonged to Dr Azam Mengal, who is currently living in Dubai and had rented the house to people from Nushki district. Women and children were often seen going in and out of the house, they added.(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AFP)
Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2012.
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The footage of the dead women and children should be sent to Government of UK, Switzerland, Afghanistan and UAE for providing sanctuaries and political asylum to the terrorists from whom no one is safe including their own women and children. Some of the critically wounded persons were referred to the Combined Military Hospital These terrorists target the military of Pakistan day in and day out, both in media as well as by attacking them, but when in crises they seek their help. This should be understood that when you are in crises, it is your own people who would come for your help and not the one who pay you some coins for your terrorism.