At least 22 people have been killed and more than 40 injured in an explosion at a railway station in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province.

Mohammad Baloch, the police operations commander, said in a press release: The blast appears to have been caused by a suicide bomber and investigations are underway to gather more information.

He added that a bomb exploded inside the station as the Peshawar-bound express train was about to leave for its destination.

Local medical sources in Quetta said the death toll was likely to rise as some of the injured passengers were in critical condition.

In August, at least 73 people were killed in Balochistan province after militants attacked several police stations, railway lines and highways.