Peshawar mosque blast: Death toll rises to 100; almost 169 injured

PESHAWAR: The death toll in the Peshawar mosque blast has climbed to 100 after more bodies were retrieved from the wreckage by the rescue teams, ARY News reported on Tuesday, quoting the deputy commissioner.

Security officials said the explosion took place around 1:40pm on Monday as Zuhr prayers were being offered as a result of which the roof of the mosque caved in. The rescue operation is still underway at the mosque site to retrieve the victims.

Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Muhammad Asim has confirmed the number of casualties, saying that almost 100 people were martyred and 169 people sustained injuries in the ‘suicide blast’.

The LRH spokesperson said several bodies have been handed over to their heirs after identification.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the blast at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines.

Police and rescuers shifted the injured to the Lady Reading and other hospitals in the area. The caretaker government of KP has imposed emergency in Peshawar’s hospitals.

The administration of the Lady Reading Hospital has appealed to the masses for blood donations to treat the injured. Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies immediately cordoned off the area and were collecting the evidence from the crime scene.

Read more: Pakistan Army soldier martyred in Bannu IED blast

Videos and pictures shared by social media users show horrific scenes as the injured drenched in blood were shifted to local medical centres for first aid after the Peshawar mosque blast.

A part of the mosque has collapsed. While talking to ARY News, an eyewitness said he was going to the mosque when the blast occurred and panic prevailed.

PM Shehbaz reaches Peshawar

Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif reached Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) capital, Peshawar, following the suicide attack in Police Lines.

The prime minister was accompanied by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

وزیراعظم شہباز شریف پشاور پہنچ گئے.سانحہ پشاور کے افسوسناک واقعہ کے بعد ہنگامی اجلاس اور تمام متعلقہ اداروں کے حکام کو طلب کر لیا ہے۔امن وامان سے متعلق وزیراعظم کی زیر صدارت اجلاس دہشت گردی کے آج کے واقعے کے محرکات پر غور کرے گا۔اجلاس میں واقعے پر ابتدائی تحقیقاتی رپورٹ پیش ہو گی

— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) January 30, 2023

Taking to Twitter, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that PM Shehbaz Sharif has summoned an emergency meeting to review the tragic incident, summoning the officials of all concerned institutions.

The meeting will review the KP’s law and order situation and ‘motives’, while the premier will be briefed on all aspects of the blast. “A preliminary investigation report on the incident will be presented in the meeting”, she added.

Rana Sanaullah says blast was ‘suicide’ attack

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said the Peshawar mosque blast was a ‘suicide attack’.

Exclusively talking to ARY News, Rana Snaullah, while condemning the blast said as per the initial investigation report, the blast was a ‘suicide attack’.

He also feared a rise in the number of casualties and the added majority of the martyrs and the injured are policemen.

Read more: UN chief condemns Peshawar blast

Condemnation

The political leadership of the country including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former president, Asif Ali Zardari, former prime minister Imran Khan, former NA speaker Asad Qaiser and others have strongly condemned the terror attack and vowed to give exemplary punishment to those involved in it.

The political leadership extended their prayers and condolences go to the victims’ families.

In a statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the Peshawar blast, reiterating the national resolve and unity to eliminate terrorism from the country.

The prime minister, in a statement, said that the killing of Muslims while they worshipped, was in violation of Islamic teaching and that the attack on a mosque evidenced that the perpetrators had nothing to do with Islam.

He said the terrorists wanted to create panic by targeting those safeguarding the country and reiterated his resolve to eliminate such elements waging war against Pakistan. “The killers of innocent people will be made an example. The whole nation including the institutions was united against terrorism,” he remarked.

He said the nation saluted the martyrs and that the government would formulate a strategy regarding the deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Strongly condemn the terrorist suicide attack in police lines mosque Peshawar during prayers. My prayers & condolences go to victims families. It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering & properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 30, 2023

سابق صدر آصف علی کی پشاور میں خودکش دھماکے کی مذمت

خیبر پختونخوا میں دہشتگردوں کا
سرگرم ہونا انتہائی خطرناک ہے، آصف علی زرداری

حکومت نیشنل ایکشن پلان پر عمل کرتے ہوئے دہشتگردی کی نرسریوں کو تباہ کرے، آصف علی زرداری @AAliZardari

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) January 30, 2023

Security on high alert

The Islamabad police have put the security of the federal capital on high alert.

As per details, the Islamabad Capital Territory police tightened security at the entry and exit points of the federal capital. 

The police officials instructed the citizens of Islamabad to keep important documents with them including computerized national identity cards (CNICs) besides appealing to the residents to corporate with the on-duty cops during the checking process.