WEB DESK
At least 32 people were killed and over 147 people were injured, including 20 police officers and other officials, after an explosion rocked a mosque next to the Police Lines in Peshawar.
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The explosion took place at a time when worshippers had gathered in the mosque for the afternoon prayers. Witnesses and officials said that at least 200 people were inside the mosque when the incident took place.
The explosion was powerful enough to shatter window panes of nearby buildings and the blast was heard for areas relatively far away as well. It caused a section of the mosque’s façade and roof to collapse as well.
Bloodied survivors limped from the wreckage, as dead bodies were ferried away in ambulances, an AFP reporter saw.
It meant that officials feared that the toll could rise.
Rescue workers and ambulances had rushed to the spot. They said they shifted the casualties to the nearby the Lady Reading Hospital and the Khyber Teaching Hospital.
Heavy machinery was summoned to clear the debris as the fire brigade staff combed it for survivors.
An LRH Spokesperson Muhammad Asim said that they have confirmed that 17 bodies and around 70 injured were brought to the hospital.
He added that around 10 of the injured were in critical condition and were currently receiving treatment in operation theater.
Asim, however, could not comment on the nature of injuries suffered by the injured at at the moment.
Meanwhile, Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Riaz Mehsud said that they had shifted the bodies of 28 people and 150 injured to various hospitals of the city including LRH, KTH and Hayatabad Medical Center.
He added that several injured were in critical condition and that the number of dead and injured could increase with many people believed to be trapped under the debris of the mosque.
However, he did not comment anything on the nature of the blast, stating that the police are still investigating the matter.
The area is located in a highly secure area of Peshawar with Police Secretariat and PTCL Colony all located nearby.
To access the area, people have to cross several police check posts. With no commercial area located within the police lines, only people with authorized access can enter the area.
People may be trapped under debris
Jamaat-e-Islami Parliamentary Leader Inayatullah said that they fear there are more people trapped under the debris of the collapsed section of the mosque.
While clarifying that they do not know exactly how many people are still trapped under the debris, he said that they are trying to rescue all the people trapped under the debris.
Units of the Pakistan Army have also reached the spot to offer assistance.
This was confirmed by the Deputy Commissioner Riaz Mehsud as well.
What caused the explosion
While the police and other authorities have yet to offer an official explanation on what caused the explosion, Inayatullah suggested it could have been a suicide blast.
He said that they could smell burnt explosive materials while inside the mosque while there was talk amongst officials that it was possibly a suicide bomb explosion.
While police said that nothing can be said until the debris cleared and investigations are completed, Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that it was possibly a suicide bomb attack.
Officers said the blast emanated from the second row of worshippers, with bomb disposal teams probing the possibility of a suicide attack.
