QUETTA, March 15 — A powerful explosion killed at least 10 people and injured 35 other on Friday evening in Quetta, the capital of restive Balochistan province, police said, according to Dawn newspaper.

Muhammad Jaffar, the Deputy Inspector General Police (Operations) said militants had planted explosive material inside a bicycle parked in the Science College Chowk area of Quetta.

He said the bomb exploded when a local bus was passing through the spot.

However, another police official who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media, told Dawn.com that target of the blast was a Frontier Corps’ vehicle, which narrowly escaped the attack.

The injured were rushed to Civil Hospital and the Combined Military Hospital for emergency treatment. An emergency was imposed at both hospitals to treat the injured of the blast.

The bodies were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta for postmortem.

“The dead bodies are yet to be identified,” Dr. Rasheed Jamali, the medical officer at the Civil Hospital. He said all senior doctors and paramedics had been called in to treat the injured.

Thick-black smoke and roaring flames could be seen from a distance soon after the blast. Fire fighters rushed to the area to put out the fire. The strength of the blast smashed the window panes of nearby shops and shopping centers.

The powerful explosion was heard far and wide causing panic in the city, which was already under the grip of violent attacks