53 people killed in a suicide blast inside the Civil Hospital in Quetta in Pakistan

08 August, Quetta

In Pakistan, at least 53 people were killed in a suicide bombing inside the Civil Hospital in Quetta Monday.

Police said, several others also injured in the attack. Balochistan Home Secretary, Akbar Harifal, said the blast occurred after a number of lawyers and journalists had gathered at the hospital following the death of President of the Balochistan Bar Association in a separate shooting incident early this morning.

A journalist who was at the scene said, more than 50 mourners were entering the emergency department of the hospital, accompanying Advocate Bilal Anwar Kasi’s body, when the bomb went off.

Police said most of the dead were lawyers and several lawyers including the former president of Balochistan Bar Association Baz Mohammad Kakar were injured.

Balochistan has been experiencing incident of violence and targeted killings for more than a decade. More than 1,400 incidents targeting the minority Shia and Hazara community have taken place in the province during the past 15 years.