QUETTA: At least 81 people including mediamen, cops, and rescue workers were killed as two back-to-back bomb blasts hit the city Thursday evening, Geo News reported.
Sources told Geo News the first blast was reported from Rehmattullah Chowk on Alamdar Road, whereas the second one which struck Airport road area nearby came minutes after the first one.
The DIG Police Quetta, Hamid Shakil, says the numbers of dead and injured were 69 and 120 respectively.
"The first suicide bomber detonated his device inside a crowded snooker club, then about 10 minutes later another bomb planted outside the building went off as police, media workers and rescue teams rushed to the site
The Geo News team, which also arrived at the site to cover the first blast, however, narrowly escaped the second one, but the satellite van the staffers were in was damaged partially. Fortunately Geo's cameramen and reporters received minor injuries.
"The shrapnel or the flying debris, which hit the Geo News DSNG following the second explosion shattered its windshield", sources said.
Police officers, mediamen, and rescue workers were also among the injured and the dead, said security sources.
Fearing a rise in casualties, the hospital sources said some of the injured were critical.
DSP Quaidabad, Mujahid Hussain, and SHO Jaafar Ali, who were injured in the second blast succumbed to their wounds later in the hospital.
A SAMA TV cameraman, Imran Shaikh and a reporter, Saif-ur-Rahman, were also killed in the deadly blast, whereas a satellite engineer of the same news channel received serious injuries.
Police said the bombings disrupted power supplies and plunged the area into darkness.
The above two blasts bring today's number of explosions hitting the terror-stricken city to three. At least twelve people including two children and a FC personal were killed while 40 others sustained injuries when a powerful bomb ripped through Bacha Khan Chowk earlier in the day.
CCPO Quetta Mir Zubair Mehmood said twin suicide attacks killed 81 people and wounded more than 120 others at a crowded snooker club.
"The death toll has risen to 81 so far," senior police official Mir Zubair Mehmood told a news conference, putting the number of wounded at 121.