70 killed, 100 injured as blast hits Quetta Civil Hospital after lawyer's killing

At least 70 people were killed and over 100 others injured on Monday when a Taliban suicide bomber struck mourners, mostly lawyers, gathered at a hospital in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province in one of the deadliest terror attacks in the country this year.

The bomber struck over 200 mourners at the government-run Civil Hospital in Quetta where the body of prominent lawyer Bilal Anwar Kasi, who was shot dead earlier in the day, was being brought. Kasi was the president of Balochistan Bar Association Advocate.

A loud explosion was heard at the emergency department where Kasi’s body was brought for autopsy.

Gunfire followed the explosion. The police said it was a suicide attack where 8 kg of explosives were used.

“No crater was found at the site of the attack and it appears the bomber had the explosives strapped to his vest,” a police officer said. Bomb Disposal Squad officials also confirmed the explosion was a suicide bombing.