KHUZDAR: At least five people were burnt to death and 10 others sustained serious injuries in an explosion in Naal town`s main bazaar in Khuzdar district on Wednesday.

According to police, the blast targeted the vehicle of pro-government tribal elder Abdul Samad Samalani. The explosive device, planted in the bazaar, was detonated remotely as his vehicle passed through the area.

While Mr Samalani survived with injuries, three of his companions were burnt to death on the spot as the vehicle caught fire following the explosion, whereas two later died of wounds.

Officials said the blast occurred near a welding shop in the busy marketplace. Police and security forces rushed to the scene, cordoning off the area and shifting the bodies and injured to Khuzdar District Hospital.

`A total of five people travelling in the vehicle were burnt alive as the fire spread rapidly. Tragically, there were no fire brigade services or rescue workers available in the municipal committee of Naal,` said a senior police officer from Bahawal Khan Police Station.

Deputy Commissioner Khuzdar Yasir Dashti confirmed that two critically injured victims succumbed to their wounds in the hospital, while three died on the spot in the vehicle fire.

Law enforcement agencies have collected evidence from the blast site. `We are investigating the nature of the explosion,` said a senior police official. However, another officer suggested that the explosion was likely caused by a bomb, intended to assassinate Abdul Samad Samalani, who is now under medical treatment.

Four of the five deceased have been identified as Munir Ahmed Samalani, Abdullah Sarmastani, Nadir Khan Garganari and Masood Ahmed.

The injured include Salal, Irfan, Abdul Samad Samalani, Arsalan, Muhammad Ashraf, Meharullah, Abdul Razzak Qambrani, Saadullah, Walid and Muhammad Ramzan.

Security forces are conducting further investigations, and no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.