Islamabad, February 14: At least nine people were killed and seven others injured when a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying coal miners in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province on Friday, officials said. The blast hit a mini truck in the Shahrag area of Harnai district of the province, according to Harnai Deputy Commissioner Hazrat Wali Kakar. Nine people were killed on the spot. Pakistan Suicide Blast: 5 Killed, 40 Others Injured in Explosion Targeting Passenger Van and Police Security Vehicle in Balochistan Province (Watch Videos).

He said the victim worked in the coal mines and they were shifted to a nearby hospital. Police said that initial reports showed that the blast was caused due to an Improvised Explosive Device, which was planted on the roadside. The officials of law enforcement agencies rushed to the place and launched a manhunt to nab the culprits. Poonch Blast: 5 Pakistani Terrorists Killed in Landmine Explosion During Infiltration Bid at LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rand expressed grief over the tragic incident, stating that an investigation had been launched. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. But similar attacks in the past have been blamed on the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army.