Doctors warned that the death toll could rise.
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Waliur Rehman, who survived the bombing, said he was taking his ill father to A&E when the explosion shook the building.
Two legs of a body found at the site were likely to be that of the suicide bomber, it said. A bomb disposal squad said the bomber had eight to 10 kg of explosives hidden in his vest, Xinhua news agency said. Afridi said most of the dead were lawyers who had gathered after Kasi’s body was brought to the hospital.
He said that security has been increased in the area and has instructed local authorities in Baluchistan province to be vigilant.
The army chief also visited the Civil Hospital where he met with those wonded in the tragedy.
Balochistan province chief minister Sanaullah Zehri said those injured should be given the best medical treatment and facilities available. No group has taken responsibility for the subsequent suicide attack.
Numerous dead were lawyers and journalists who had earlier gathered to cover a protest over the murder of Balochistan Bar Association president Bilal Anwar Kasi.
“There are at least 45 confirmed dead and around 50 injured”, said Rehmat Saleh Baloch, health minister for Balochistan, updating earlier figures.
Bugti said the impact of the explosion was strong that scores of vehicles and motorbikes that were around the hospital were destroyed.
The attacker blew himself up in the emergency ward of Civil Hospital, NPR’s Abdul Sattar reports.
One of those who survived the bombing described a horrifying scene, saying there were “bodies everywhere” after the blast.
Shocked survivors wept and comforted one another.
Numerous dead appeared to be wearing black suits and ties, the traditional uniform of lawyers in Pakistan. Panic tore through the hospital after the incident and emergency has been declared at hospitals in Quetta.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain strongly condemned the attack.
Pakistani relatives embrace after a deadly bomb explosion at a hospital in Quetta. He said it was attempt to target China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Lawyers in Balochistan and the country’s southern port city of Karachi boycotted court proceedings.
He announced three-day mourning in the province.
Lawyers have been frequently targeted in Balochistan.
A lawyer, Jahanzeb Alvi, was shot dead on August 3.
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But this is the first time that lawyers have been targeted at such a large scale in Balochistan. There are several ethnic Baluch separatist groups operating in the resource-rich province, but al-Qaida, the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups also have a presence here. Find us on Facebook too!
