42 killed as militant hits at a hospital in Pakistan

At least 42 people were killed and 30 others injured in a loud explosion inside the Civil Hospital here on Monday, Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed.

The blast followed the killing of president of Balochistan Bar Association Bilal Anwar Kasi, who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Quetta earlier today, reports Dawn.

The explosion took place soon after lawyers arrived at the Civil Hospital when the body of their colleague Advocate Bilal Kasi was brought in.

Several lawyers were reported injured in the explosion and aerial firing could still be heard at the premises.

TV reports said people were attempting to exit the hospital in a state of chaos.

Journalists present at the premises also came in the line of fire and the cameraman for DawnNews was severely injured in the explosion. Shahzad Khan, a cameraman associated with Aaj TV, was reportedly killed in the blast.

Police surrounded the hospital and cordoned off the area after the blast.

An emergency has been declared in hospitals across Quetta and several injured are being shifted to these for treatment.

‘This was a security lapse and I am having this personally investigated,’ Bugti told.

He said it was too early to determine the nature of the blast, adding that the hospital had not received any threats in the past.

Balochistan has been experiencing incident violence and targeted killings since more than a decade. More than 1,400 incidents targeting the minority Shia and Hazara community have taken place in the province during the past 15 years.

The largest province of the country by area, is home to a low-level insurgency by ethnic Baloch separatists. Al Qaeda-linked and sectarian militants also operate in the region.

The province shares borders with Afghanistan and Iran.