Two simultaneous powerful blasts near Quetta’s Zarghon Road killed five people and left at least 17 injured on Wednesday.
The bomb exploded in a crowded car repair market on Double Road near Zarghon Road. The area is a commercial hub and is scene of frequent traffics jam.
Police and rescue services rushed to the site and moved the injured and bodies to a local hospital.
Three of the injured are said to be in critical condition.
“We have received five dead bodies and 17 injured people from the blast site,” Rasheed Jamali, a doctor at Quetta’s civil hospital said.
“It was a massive explosion and I saw dozens of people lying in pool of blood on Double Road,” a witness said.
The bomb disposal squad said the explosives, which weighed around 6-7 kilogrammes, were planted on a motorcycle.
Police said the second explosion occurred due to a CNG cylinder explosion inside a car.
They said given its location, it was unlikely that the bomb was planted to target any specific individual and was rather meant to create destruction in general.
Responsibility for the explosion, which destroyed nearby buildings, cars and shattered window panels, has not been claimed by any group as yet.