Five members of a family killed in Peshawar hotel blast

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Five members of a family were killed and two others injured when an explosion occurred on the fourth storey of a local hotel in Peshawar on Friday, police and rescuers said.

The injured, who were in a critical condition, were shifted to a hospital for first aid and later shifted to Islamabad for treatment.

Initial investigations suggested that the family came to Peshawar from Hangu for medical treatment of one of their family members, Peshawar Capital City Police Officer Qazi Jameel told reporters. Among the dead were two women, two children and a man, he said.

The nature of the blast is yet to be ascertained, however, officials of bomb disposal squad ruled out the possibility of terrorism.

The powerful blast ripped through the fourth floor of the hotel building and a fire broke out in the aftermath of the explosion. Glass walls of the buildings were shattered and the structure blackened due to the blast and fire.

Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Shafqat Malik of Bomb Disposal Unit along with his team visited the blast site and told reporters that the incident did not appear to be the result of a terrorist activity.

Initial investigations showed that the fire broke out due to gas leakage or a cylinder blast, the officer said, adding that evidence is being collected from the site.