5 killed in landmine blast in Pakistan

At least five people were killed and another was injured today when a pick-up truck carrying them hit a landmine apparently planted by insurgents in Pakistan's troubled south-western Baluchistan province.
The truck hit the landmine in Chattar area of Dera Murad district killing five people on board and critically injuring another, officials said.
"The blast was intense and four people died on the spot while the fifth person expired later in hospital," he said.
"The injured person is also in critical condition right now," he said.
District police officer Mahmood Jamali said the landmine was apparently planted by separatists who are active in the area.

He said that due to the rugged terrain in most parts of the province people generally use pick-up trucks for transportation.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but a police official said insurgents carry out such attacks against security personnel and installations.
"I don't think the pick-up truck was the intended target as it was carrying normal passengers," he said.
On Saturday, a government official said that insurgents had blown up two power transmission lines near Sibi in the province causing a major blackout in the cities of Karachi and Quetta and other parts of the country.

Baluchistan, Pakistan's largest but least developed and most sparsely populated province, has been wracked for decades by a separatist's insurgency that was revived in 2004.