At least four labourers lost their lives and three sustained injuries following an explosion at Khad Kocha in Mastung district on Friday. Initial indications suggest the blast might have resulted from a drone attack.
The explosion occurred at an orchard located in the Geet area of Khad Kocha, where the victims were engaged in work. Rescue teams responded to the scene and reported the incident as a suspected drone strike, though police have not yet confirmed this and maintain that an explosion took place at the site.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the blast and whether it involved an explosive device. Among the injured are Ali Raza Mengal, a local resident of Khad Kocha, and Naseebullah Abro and Khalid Hussain, both from Haji Shehar in Kachhi district. All victims were employed as labourers at the orchard.
The deceased and wounded were transported to Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Hospital in Mastung, where medical treatment is underway for the injured. Deputy Superintendent of Police Rafiq Hamza confirmed the explosion’s location within the Khad Kocha orchard.
Following the incident, law enforcement officials secured the area, with police and other security personnel cordoning off the site. A bomb disposal squad was dispatched to assess the explosion’s nature and gather evidence. The investigation is ongoing, with further evidence being collected from the location.
This event comes shortly after a separate explosion in Quetta’s Wali Tangi area, which claimed two lives and injured two others. That blast was caused by an explosive device placed along a roadside in the Hanna Urak recreational area.
Authorities have yet to conclusively determine whether the Mastung explosion was due to a drone strike or an explosive device planted at the orchard.
