Pakistan: Fresh Mosque Blast Kills Five, Injure A Dozen

ISLAMABAD (IQNA) – At least five people have been killed as Pakistan was hit with the second blast on a day.

A blast ripped through a mosque in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which borders Afghanistan, officials said, killing at least five people.

The mosque’s roof collapsed in the blast, local broadcaster Geo News reported, adding that about 30 to 40 people were trapped under the rubble.

Hangu District Police Officer Nisar Ahmed said that 12 people sustained injuries when two blasts rocked the Doaba police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu on Friday, according to Dawn.com.

He said the first blast took place at the entrance of the police station after which a number of people gathered at the site. “A few minutes later, another blast occurred inside a mosque situated in the premises of the police station.”

DPO Ahmed said the second blast took place during the Friday sermon. “The roof of the mosque caved in due to the impact of the explosion,” the official stated, adding that nearly 30 to 40 people were reported to be stuck under the rubble.

The official further said that heavy machinery had been called to retrieve the bodies and wounded persons.

However, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Bilal Faizi told Dawn.com that the death toll from the blast had risen to five. He mentioned that six of the injured individuals were in critical condition and were currently receiving treatment.

Rescue teams and locals in the area are leading the rescue operation.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

An eyewitness, Shahid Khan Zaman, told Dawn.com that at the time of the explosion, there were approximately 60 to 70 people inside the mosque.

According to him, the suspected suicide bomber tried to enter through the mosque’s gate, but the resistance from the police allowed most of the people to leave the premises. He added that the second suicide bomber detonated himself inside the mosque.

The blast came hours after at least 52 people were killed and more than 50 injured in a suicide attack on a religious gathering to mark the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

Source: Agencies