MASTUNG: A woman patient was killed and three other people, including two children, were injured after unidentified armed men opened fire on a car travelling from Zhob to Karachi near Mastung in Balochistan on Tuesday, police said.
According to police, the attack took place on the National Highway near Mastung when armed assailants signalled the vehicle to stop. Before the driver could pull over, the attackers opened indiscriminate fire on the car from both sides.
The woman, who was reportedly being taken from Zhob to Karachi for medical treatment, was fatally struck by the gunfire and died at the scene.
Three other occupants of the vehicle, including two children, sustained injuries in the attack.
One of the injured passengers told hospital staff that the family was transporting the woman to Karachi for treatment when the attackers attempted to stop their vehicle and then began firing before they had a chance to halt.
Following the incident, local authorities and Levies personnel shifted the victim’s body and the injured to a nearby hospital, where the wounded are receiving medical treatment.
Security forces and police cordoned off the area soon after the attack and launched a search operation. Authorities have begun an investigation to determine the motive behind the shooting and to trace those responsible.
Earlier, two people were killed after an oil tanker caught fire while parked at a petrol station near the Sariyab Customs area in Quetta.
According to Abdul Haq Achakzai, Director of Fire Services, the victims sustained severe burn injuries in the blaze and died as a result.
Firefighters from the Quetta Metropolitan Fire Brigade responded swiftly and successfully brought the fire under control before it could spread further.
Achakzai said the timely response prevented what could have been a much larger disaster, protecting the petrol station as well as nearby vehicles from extensive damage.