QUETTA, Pakistan (AFP) - The police chief of Pakistan's restive south-western province of Baluchistan narrowly escaped a suicide attack on Sunday that killed at least six people and wounded 46 others, officials said.

Inspector General Mushtaq Sukhera had just entered his residence in the provincial capital Quetta when a suicide bomber in a vehicle laden with explosives blew themselves up outside.

"At least two policemen, three paramilitary soldiers and one passer by were killed outside the inspector general's residence and 46 others were wounded," Home Secretary Akbar Durrani told AFP.

A huge amount of explosives were packed into the vehicle and the blast left a deep crater, with the explosion shattering nearby windows and sending debris flying, he said.

Senior police official Mobin Ahmed told AFP the police chief was safe, while another police official said the blast was so loud it was heard all over the city.

Baluchistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, is plagued by Islamist militancy, attacks on the Shi'ite Muslim minority and a separatist Baluch insurgency.