Rescue work underway after deadly shrine blast in SW Pakistan

A man injured in a bomb blast at a shrine, receives medical treatment at a hospital in Hub town, southwest Pakistan, on Nov. 12, 2016. At least 40 people were killed and over 100 others injured after a suicide blast hit a shrine in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan district on Saturday night, local media and officials said. (Xinhua/Stringer)

Rescue work is underway after a deadly blast at a shrine in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan Province on Saturday night, officials said.

Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, the spokesperson of Balochistan government, said that they have dispatched 50 ambulances to the Dargah Shah Noorani Shrine, which is located at the top of the mountain in Hub town, located in Khuzdar district of the province.

He said that the blast site is hard to access as darkness and tough mountainous terrain is a hindrance to the rescue teams, so they have also sent a team of doctors and paramedics to treat the injured people at the blast site.

He said that helicopters would be used to shift the critically injured people to hospital if needed.

Kakar said that a state of emergency has been imposed in hospitals in Khuzdar and neighboring Lasbela districts.

Hamkim Lasi, head of non-profit organization Edhi Foundation in Khuzdar, said that they have dispatched 12 ambulances to the blast site, adding that the death toll is feared to rise as there is no hospital in the nearby area where injured can be treated.

He said that the nearest hospital is in downtown Hub, which is located some 120 km from the blast site.

Sanaullah Zehri, home minister of Balochistan, said that the blast happened when devotees were preforming Dhamal, a kind of Sufi dance, in the shrine.

He said that the killed and injured people include a large number of women and kids.

Muhammad Jafar, Superintendent Police, said that devotees dance inside the shrine every night, but tonight there were more people than usual.

He said that police and paramilitary troops reached at the blast site and cordoned it off.

Nature of the blast has not been officially determined yet, but some local media reports said that the attack was carried out by a teenager suicide bomber.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the blast and vowed to eradicate militancy from the country.