Quetta, Pakistan (BBN) – At least 70 people were killed and more than hundred injured when a powerful explosion ripped through Quetta’s Civil Hospital on Monday.
The explosion took place when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi’s body was being brought to the emergency department. He was gunned down at Mano Jan Road earlier on the day, reports GEO NEWS.
Former Balochistan Bar President Baz Muhammad Kakar was injured in the attack. He later succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.
Police said that unknown men opened fire after the blast. Panic tore through the hospital after the incident. The blast occurred near the emergency department of the hospital.
Hospital officials confirmed the death toll.
Dr Abdul Rehman, the medical superintendent at the Civil Hospital, said 102 injured people were being treated at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) while 10 were getting medical treatment at the Balochistan Medical Complex.
Director General Health Services Balochistan Dr Masood Nosherwani said 26 critically injured patients were being shifted to Karachi for further medical treatment.
He said that all surgeons employed by the government were sent to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) for treatment of those injured in the attack.

Most of the injured are lawyers and journalists who had arrived at the hospital when they heard news of the attack on the two senior lawyers, eyewitnesses said.
An Aaj News cameraman was killed in the attack while a Dawn News cameraman was severely injured and later succumbed to his wounds.
Security forces cordoned off the area, while mobile phone jammers were installed in the surrounding areas of the Civil Hospital.
A state of emergency was declared at all hospitals in Quetta.
Police said it was a suicide attack where eight kilograms of explosives were used.
The Daesh militant group claimed responsibility of the attack.
The provincial capital has been at the receiving end of several such acts of terror. In May this year two people were killed and five injured when an explosion occurred at the main entrance of Baluchistan University.

BBN/SSR/AD