Quetta, Mar 3 (IANS): At least three people were killed and 24 others injured in a blast in Pakistan's Quetta city, an official has confirmed.

Media Coordinator of Health Department of Balochistan province Waseem Baig said that the victims included a deputy superintendent of police, reports Xinhua news agency.

The blast took place on Wednesday night near a police vehicle in a busy market located at the Fatima Jinnah Road of the city.

Police, security forces and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and the injured to a hospital.

The death toll might further increase as five of the wounded were in critical condition, the police said.

The bomb disposal squad of police is currently investigating the nature of the blast.

Several vehicles parked nearby were also damaged, while a shop was engulfed in flames, said local reports.

Police and security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

No group or individual has claimed the blast yet.