Six killed, three injured in Mastung orchard blast

Six killed, three injured in Mastung orchard blast

MUSTUNG: At least six people were killed and three others injured in a blast at an orchard in Khadkocha area of Balochistan’s Mastung district, police said on Friday.

According to police, all the victims were laborers working in the orchards. Rescue teams shifted the bodies and injured people to a hospital in Mastung for treatment. The condition of the injured was not immediately known.

The explosion was powerful enough to be heard in several areas far from the site, causing panic among residents.

Police and other law enforcement personnel quickly cordoned off the area and called in the Bomb Disposal Squad to examine the site and determine whether any other explosive devices remained nearby.

Authorities said they were investigating the nature and cause of the blast and had not yet established whether it resulted from an improvised explosive device or another type of explosive.

In a separate incident in Khadkocha, unidentified gunmen opened fire in the area, killing two people, according to police.

The attackers fled the scene after the shooting. Police shifted the victims’ bodies to a hospital and launched an investigation to determine the motive behind the attack and identify those responsible.

Security personnel have increased their presence in the area as investigations into both incidents continue.