LASBELA: At least 35 people including women and children were killed and scores others injured in suicide blast at Shah Noorani shrine here on Saturday.
SSP Jaffar Khan said that the blast took place at Shah Noorani Shrine located in Lasbela district of Balochistan, where a suicide bomber taking benefit of absence of security arrangements blew himself near the main gate of the shrine when ‘dhamaal’ was taking place in the shrine.
Security sources said that more than 500 people including women and children were present on the scene when the blast took place.
About 35 were reported killed and more than 100 others sustained injuries as a result of the explosion.
As the shrine is located at mount in far flung area of the district and some 200 kilometer away from Karachi, the security forces and rescue personnel had to face problems in reaching the scene.
Later the Edhi ambulances and rescue personnel reached the scene of the suicide blast. The bodies and injured were shifted to different hospitals in surrounding areas. Many among the wounded people were referred to Civil Hospital Karachi due to critical condition. Dozens of the wounded people were stated to be in critical condition and it was feared that death toll could rise further. AMS of the Civil Hospital Karachi, Dr. Abdul Qadir said that emergency was declared in the hospital to accommodate the injured people.
Home Minister Balochistan, Sarfraz Bugti said that it was a suicide attack. However, he said that death toll in blast could not be ascertained immediately as rescue operation was underway and many among the wounded people were also stated be in critical condition.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Federal Ministers, Speaker and Deputy Speaker National Assembly, Chief Minister Sindh, Punjab and KP, leader of the Opposition, leadership of the political parties in opposition have condemned the suicide attacked. They condoled the deaths of innocent people, prayed for departed souls to rest in eternal peace and early recovery of the injured.
PM orders speedy rescue operation
Expressing grief over the loss of innocent lives, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the attack at Dargah Shah Noorani and directed the concerned authorities to bring the perpetrators to the task immediately.
He also ordered speedy rescue services to save the lives of those injured in the attack.
(Report is being updated)
