No Chinese nationals hurt in Quetta Serena bombing: Beijing

Ministry spokesperson confirms Chinese envoy was present in the provincial capital at the time of the attack

BEIJING:

China on Thursday, while condemning the car bomb attack at Quetta’s Serena hotel, confirmed that no Chinese nationals were hurt in the attack.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wang Wenbin added that Beijing’s envoy to Pakistan, Nong Rong, was present in the provincial capital at the time of the attack.  

"Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Mr. Nong Rong, was leading a delegation on a visit in Quetta on the same day. When the attack occurred, the Chinese delegation was not in the hotel."

 At least five people, including two private security guards, were killed and 12 others injured in a powerful blast that took place in the parking lot of Serena Hotel late Wednesday night.

Injured include two assistant commissioners of the Balochistan government, who were present in the hotel when the blast occurred, were immediately shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta along with other wounded people. Hotel officials said that some employees of the hotel were missing.

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Officials said that Chinese ambassador and other Chinese officials were staying at the hotel but were not present in the hotel when the blast took place in the parking lot.

"All guests staying in the hotel were deemed safe in the blast," officials said.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the Serena hotel blast. A spokesman for the TTP said, “Our suicide bomber used his explosive filled car in the hotel."

However, police said that initial investigation revealed that the explosive device was planted in a car that was parked in the hotel's parking area.