QUETTA, August 8: The death toll of deadly blast at civil hospital in Quetta has jumped to 70, while 117injured persons are still at hospital, sources reported.
Army Chief General Raheel Sharif has reached Quetta and visited Civil Hospital to inquire about the health of the victims of bomb blast.
Commander southern command Lt. Gen. Amir Riaz as also accompanied with General Raheel Sharif during his visit of the hospital. The Army Chief also inspected the site of the bomb blast.
Bomb disposal squad has confirmed that the deadly bomb blast in Civil Hospital Quetta was a suicide attack in which ball bearings were also used to make it deadlier. Two legs of a body have been found from the crime scene, which likely to belong to a suicide bomber.
Commander Southern Command of the armed forces Lt. General Amir Riaz visited civil hospital to monitor the scene of the terrorist attack. He also met with the officials of the hospital administration and inquired about the health of the injured admitted at the hospital.
Earlier in the morning unknown armed men killed Balochistan Bar President Bilal Anwar Kasi at Mannu Jan Road of Quetta. The dead body of the prominent lawyer was transferred to Civil Hospital. A large number of lawyers were reached Civil Hospital to receive the mortal remains of Bilal Anwar Kasi when the deadly blast hit them at casualty department of the hospital.
Former president Balochistan Bar Association Baz Mohammad Kakar, who was injured in the bomb attack, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Two newsmen also said to be missing after the blast near casualty department of the hospital that rocked the city.
Earlier, Kasi was on his way to court from home when unidentified armed men shot him dead on Mannu Jan Road of the city, police sources said.
It was second incident of targeted killing of a lawyer in Quetta in a span of few days.
Shahzad Ahmed, a cameraman of Aaj television channel, succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Two journalists present at the hospital were also said to be untraced after the bomb blast.
A large number of lawyers and newsmen were present in the hospital after killing of the Bar president Bilal Kasi when the bomb device went off at the casualty department of the hospital. The injured included lawyers and other people present at the hospital.
Dozens of persons said to be injured some of them have been in critical condition. The injured have been transferred to Bolan Medical College Hospital and Combined Military Hospital (CMH) apart of the Civil Hospital Quetta. CMH has displayed a list of 13 victims of the bombing died in the hospital.
Local administration has declared emergency in all hospitals of Quetta and cancelled leaves of doctors and para-medical staff after the terrorist attack that severely bruised normal life in the city.
Balochistan Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has announced to launch a crackdown against terrorists in the province. Talking to media he earlier said that 53 people were killed in the terrorist attack. The city’s traders have announced shutter down on Tuesday (tomorrow) to mourn the deadly incident in Quetta.-Agencies
