At least nine people, including five schoolchildren and a policeman, were killed in an explosion targeting security personnel guarding polio vaccinators in southwestern on Friday.
The incident took place near the Girls High School at the Civil Hospital Chowk in Mastung.
After being informed, police and rescue officials rushed to the scene and shifted the injured and the bodies to the hospital for medico-legal formalities. The bomb disposal squad also reached the spot soon after the explosion and started collecting evidence.
In a statement, the hospital administration added that 33 injured people were undergoing treatment at DHQ and Nawab Hospital in Mastung, among which most were schoolchildren.
The ages of the deceased schoolchildren, which include girls and boys, are between 10 to 13 years old, while four policemen are among the injured.
After the initial investigations, Mastung DSP revealed that the bomb was installed in a motorcycle parked on the footpath near the crime scene.
“The blast was aimed at targeting police personnel guarding a team of polio vaccinators.”
Ten to eight kilograms of explosive material was used in the blast, the police officer added.
Soon after the blast, an emergency was declared across all Quetta hospitals including the Civil Hospital, BMC Hospital, and Trauma Centre, said the provincial health department spokesperson, adding that all doctors, pharmacists, staff nurses, and other medical staff have been summoned.
