He said that attackers riding in a double-cabin vehicle reached the spot and boarded the bus and opened fire at the occupants. He added that the assailants managed to escape from the scene. He said that about 20 to 30 passengers were present in the bus and were attacked when it left Akhtarabad area for Hazarganji fruit and vegetable market. Police said the ill-fated bus carrying fruit and vegetable sellers was going to Hazarganji fruit and vegetable market which is located on outskirts of Quetta city.
Law enforcement personnel rushed to the scene and evacuated bodies and transferred injured to Bolan Medical College hospital Quetta. A large number of people gathered in and around the BMC hospital where they raised slogans against the attackers and they demanded maintenance of peace in Balochistan particularly in Quetta. Later, the wounded were referred to Combined Military Hospital Quetta.
Police and hospital sources told APP that the dead were identified as Zakir, Fida Hussain, Haji Malang Achakzai, Zaki, Muhammad Ali, Qurban Ali, Ali, Jan Ali, Hussain Bakhsh and Noorullah. The injured include Ali Baba, Ashique Ali, Ayazullah, Abdullah, Muhammad Juma, Misbahulla and Abdullah.
The incident caused panic amongst citizens. The protesters torched the bus, which was attacked. Girl students of Government Girls Degree College staged demonstration against the attack. Tahafazz Azadari Council announced to mark three-day mourns.
Law enforcement agencies including Frontier Corps, police and Balochistan Constabulary have launched crackdown in many areas including Killi Akhtarabad and others and arrested about 15 suspects so far. Talking to media persons at the hospital, Commissioner Quetta Division Naseem Lehri said that the assailants ambushed the bus and they did not came from roadside. He, said that law enforcement agencies had cordoned off the entire area and they would succeed in arresting the attackers.
Governor Balochistan Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi and Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani have strongly condemned the firing incident and directed that the government would incur medical expenditures of treatment of injured persons. Meanwhile, Home Minister Balochistan Mir Zafrullah Zehri has called an emergency meeting to review the incident. It was also learnt that some officials of Shalkot police station have been sacked. Further investigation into the incident was underway.