Quetta Blast : Death Toll Reaches 67 and over 180 injured – UPDATED

Quetta: A remote-controlled bomb targeting Shiite Muslims killed 67 people while over 180 injured on Saturday, police said.

The incident took place in Hazara town, an area dominated by Shiites on the outskirts of Quetta. “Fifteen people have been killed, the death toll may rise, it was a remote-controlled bomb. All the dead were from the Shiite community” Wazir Khan Nasir, senior police officer in Quetta, told AFP.

“It was a sectarian attack, the Shiite community was the target,” he added.

The explosion took place on Saturday before evening which followed by incidents of aerial firing in the area.

According to television reports twelve people were critically injured and shifted to Bolan Medical Complex.

Another tragic picture from Kirani road blast

However, police has cordon off the area to avoid any further human life loss and called upon bomb disposal squad to clear the site.

There were many people around the site of explosion being it a known place for shopping. Houses, shops and other buildings were also damaged in this explosion.

Media personals were also barred to go near the explosion site.

An emergency has been declared in both the hospitals.

Security forces have cordoned off the area.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf have strongly condemned the Karani road‚ Quetta bomb blast which resulted in the loss of precious lives and property.

They directed the concerned authorities to provide best medical facilities to the injured of the blast.

They reiterated the resolve of the government to fight and eliminate the menace of terrorism from Pakistan and said that terrorists would not be able to subdue our will through such dastardly acts.