Il Nuovo Postiglione - Pakistan train blast kills at least 24 in Balochistan

Army servicemen were among the victims of the attack in the provincial capital Quetta, which wounded more than 50 people, the official told AFP.

The attack, which was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militant group, was branded a "cowardly" act of terrorism by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Images showed a mangled train carriage on its side as people clambered over the wreckage to find survivors.

People could be seen carrying blood-soaked victims on stretchers away from a derailed car, while armed security forces stood guard.

The local official told AFP that the train carrying army personnel and their family members was going from Quetta to Peshawar in Pakistan's northwest.

The train was passing a signal at Chaman Pattak in Quetta "when an explosive-laden car hit one of the carriages that resulted in a big blast", the official said.

Windows were blown out and nearby vehicles were destroyed in the explosion.

Another official told AFP that the army personnel were travelling to celebrate the Eid holiday, which is due to start on Tuesday.

- 'Running for shelter' -

Balochistan is Pakistan's poorest province and largest by landmass. It lags behind the rest of the country in almost every index, including education, employment and economic development.

Baloch separatists accuse Pakistan's government of exploiting the province's natural gas and abundant mineral resources without benefiting the local population.

Mohammad Rahim, who was near the site of the attack, told AFP he was sleeping when the explosion ripped through the area.

"My family and I jumped out of our beds when we heard a loud bang," he said.

"I heard screaming and the crying of women and children in the building, including my family."

Another witness, Abdul Basit, told AFP he was standing in a queue to buy breakfast when he heard the blast.

"People started running for shelter," he said.

Mujib Ahmad said that his car was damaged in the explosion.

"When I heard the blast, I thought that it must be an attack," he said.

"I came out of the building and saw the devastation and my car was completely damaged."

A police official told AFP the weight of the improvised explosive device used in the attack was around 35 kilograms (77 pounds).

They said that police and security agencies were investigating the attack.

The BLA, the province's most active militant separatist group, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to AFP.

The group, which the United States has designated a terrorist organisation, said it had targeted military installations as well as police and civil administration officials in gun attacks and suicide bombings.

The BLA has intensified attacks on Pakistanis from other provinces working in the region in recent years, as well as foreign energy firms.

Last year the separatists attacked a train with 450 passengers on board, sparking a deadly two-day siege.

Sharif condemned the "heinous bomb explosion... which has resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives and left many others injured".

"Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan," he said.

"I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and pray for the swift recovery of the injured."

E.Scozzafava--INP