LAHORE:Two people were killed and 28 others injured in a blast near Lahore’s Anarkali Bazaar area on Thursday.
The blast from improvised explosive device (IED) created panic in the areas windows of nearby shops and buildings were shattered by the explosion. The vehicles parked near the blast site were also damaged. The rescue teams reached spot of incident and shifted the injured to Mayo Hospital. Police said that around 1.5 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast. It was further learnt that the explosives were placed on ground between motorcycles.
Preliminary report said that the blast took place at 1:40pm and razed a building and destroyed eight motorcycles. Talking to media persons, DIG operations said that police teams are collecting evidence from the place of incident and soon the details of the blast will be confirmed.
Mayo Hospital officials said four people are in critical condition, with the doctors trying to save their lives. The medics have given first aid to other injured people. Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar took notice of the blast and sought report from Inspector General (IG) Punjab.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan condemned the blast at New Anarkali in Lahore. The premier, while taking notice of the explosion, has directed the concerned authorities to arrest the responsible people as soon as possible. He further extended condolences to the bereaved families of the explosion victims.
President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Mian Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over loss of precious human lives in Lahore blast and said that poor and minors were affected by the blast which is strongly condemnable.