Schoolchildren injured in Turbat blast

Bus was taking children, whose parents are part of the Frontier Corps.

QUETTA:

A bomb blast tore through a school bus on Tuesday morning, wounding at least five children in Turbat.

The bus was taking more than 30 children, whose parents are part of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC), to a school in Turbat town, police and military officials said.

A remote-controlled bomb exploded when the bus neared Ata Shad College, about 550 kilometres west of Quetta, an FC spokesperson said. “Five children were wounded, three of them are in a serious condition,” he said.

A child Haroon Siddiq lost his hand, hospital administration said. Other children injured were identified as Kami, John, Zeshan and Qamar. Security in charge, Mohammad Hameed, also suffered minor injuries.

Police said more than a dozen children, aged eight to 12 years, were wounded but most of them were discharged after receiving first aid at hospital.

FC personnel and police rushed to the spot soon after the incident and cordoned off the area. The school is set up by the Frontier Corps. A senior police officer said that usually FC personnel escort the school van and at the time of the attack they were present.

The incident took place within the limits of City Police Station Turbat. No case was registered till the filing of this report.

Additional input from AFP

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2011.