Pakistan: 65 killed, over 150 injured in blast at civil hospital in Quetta

Karachi: At least 65 people were killed and over 150 others injured when a suicide bomber struck mourners, mostly lawyers and journalists, gathered at a government-run hospital in Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province in one of the worst attacks in the country this year.

The loud explosion was heard after the president of Balochistan Bar Association (BA) Advocate Bilal Anwar Kasi was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the provincial capital.

Senior police official Zahoor Ahmed says also that dozens have been wounded in the explosion. The blast took place shortly after the body of a lawyer killed in a shooting attack earlier in the day was brought in on Monday.

The bomb exploded as lawyers brought Balochistan Bar Association's President Bilal Kasi, who was gunned down to the hospital, according to police and rescue officials.

Lawyers and journalists had gathered at the emergency department where Bilal Kasi's body was brought, when the explosion occurred. Most of the injured are lawyers, eye witnesses were quoted as saying in the local media

Police said unknown men also opened fire after the blast.

Panic tore through the hospital after the incident and emergency has been declared at hospitals in Quetta. A heavy contingent of Frontier Corps and police arrived and cordoned off the area.

Unidentified armed men opened fire at Advocate Kasi's car near Quetta's Mengal Chowk on Manno Jan road, police officials told The Express Tribune. The former president was shifted to Civil Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries.

The provincial capital has been at the receiving end of several such acts of terror. In May, two persons were killed and five injured when an explosion occurred at the main entrance of Balochistan University.