QUETTA: At least nine people were killed while 16 others sustained injuries in a blast at Gulistan road area here on Friday.According to police sources, the powerful blast took place besideInspector General Police Office. The bodies and injured were shifted to Quetta Civil Hospital where an emergency has been declared.The hospital sources confirmed about nine bodies where four of themwere identified as Sajid Ali, Lal Khan, Muhammad Ghani and Muhammad Fasal personnel of traffic police and the identity of five of them could not be ascertained so far.The injured were identified as Anwar Ali, Jan Muhammad, Shair Ali,Sarfaraz, Muhammad Yasir, Numan, Siaal, Rajan Shah, Nazir Ahmad, AftabAhmed Khan, a woman Naala and a small girl Safia.
The identity of four of them could not be ascertained. Security was beefed up in the city after the incident.Law enforcement agencies along with bomb disposal squad team reachedthe site after the incident and cordoned off the entire area. However, the investigation of nature of blast was underway.Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri has stronglycondemned the incident of blast.He directed the health departments to provide all medical facilities tothe victims and ensure their treatment.He prayed for the rest of the departed souls in eternal peace and grant of courage and fortitude to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss.He also prayed for early health recovery of the injured.