F.P. Report
LAHORE: Three people were killed and 16 injured when a bomb blast rocked a number of houses in the Johar Town area of Lahore on Wednesday.
A large number of policemen and Rescue 1122 teams rushed to the site in the Board of Revenue (BOR) Society in Johar Town.
The Punjab inspector-general of police said Counter-Terrorism Department personnel were investigating how much and what kind of explosive material was used in the bomb explosion.
According to officials, two people died on the spot while the third one, a six-year-old child, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Jinnah Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Yahya Sultan said the child, identified as Abdul Haq, was immediately shifted on the ventilator in the ICU but he could not survive.
The CCPO Lahore said 16 people including a policeman, women and children were injured in the blast which also caused a crater in the ground. The injured were rushed to Jinnah Hospital where an emergency was declared in view of the blast situation. Sources in Rescue 1122 said four of the injured were in serious condition.
The blast was so severe that the windowpanes of the nearby houses were also broken.
Punjab IGP Inam Ghani said that it was a terrorist incident but it cannot deter them. He said a DC team is assessing the damage caused to the neighbourhood.
A woman who lived close to the blast site said a motorcycle exploded and all this happened. She said they were sitting inside their house when the blast occurred and destroyed everything in their house.
Another neighbour said the blast was so powerful that they first thought it was an earthquake.
Buzdar takes notice
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar took notice of the explosion in Johar Town and directed the inspector general of police to submit a report in this regard.
Sheikh Rashid seeks report
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has also taken notice of the Lahore blast and sought a report about the incident from the Punjab chief secretary and IGP.
He prayed for the families of the victims and for the early recovery of the injured. Federal agencies are assisting the Punjab government, the minister added.
Shehbaz Sharif condemns blast
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said that the blast in the heart of Lahore is ominous and he is deeply concerned that the law and order situation is not being given the kind of attention it deserves.
Shehbaz Sharif said that it is important to probe it for possible leads and establish context. He extended condolences to bereaved families and prayers for the injured.
Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid reached Jinnah Hospital where emergency had been declared. Yasmin Rashid said that the injured are being given medical treatment.
