By Alperen Aktas and Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) - At least four people were killed and 30 injured in a bomb explosion near a railway station in southwestern Pakistan early Saturday, according to media reports.
The explosion hit a ticket counting center at the station in the provincial capital of Quetta, Geo News reported.
Initial reports indicate the blast occurred when a train was about to leave the station for Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa province.
Given the usual high foot traffic at the station, authorities fear the number of casualties could rise.
Police and rescue teams quickly arrived at the scene as emergency measures were implemented at Quetta's Civil Hospital, with additional doctors and support staff to assist victims.
Pakistan has endured 785 militant attacks during the first 10 months of 2024, resulting in 951 deaths and 966 injuries, reflecting a persistently high level of violence across the country, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, an Islamabad-based think tank.
Though terror attacks and bombings have dropped in Pakistan, October emerged as the second-deadliest month of the year as fatalities rose to 198.
Fatalities included 98 terrorists, 62 security personnel and 38 civilians.