Train Explosion in Southwestern Pakistan Kills at Least 24, Injures Over 50

A senior Pakistani official stated that a train carrying military personnel was hit by an explosion today in the volatile southwestern province of Balochistan, killing at least 24 people. The official told AFP that the incident occurred in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, and that the victims included army personnel. More than 50 others were injured. Footage from the scene showed a carriage severely deformed and overturned, with people climbing over the wreckage to search for survivors, some carrying bloodied victims on stretchers away from the derailed train, while armed security forces stood guard. The official told AFP that the train was carrying soldiers and their families, scheduled to travel from Quetta to Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan. When the train passed a signal in Quetta, "a vehicle loaded with explosives rammed into one of the carriages, causing a massive explosion." The blast shattered windows and destroyed nearby vehicles. Another official told AFP that the soldiers were on the train to celebrate a holiday scheduled to begin on the 26th. Balochistan is Pakistan's poorest and largest province, ranking at the bottom of almost all indicators for education, employment, and economic development. Baloch separatists accuse the Pakistani government of exploiting the province's natural gas and rich mineral resources without benefiting the local residents.