At least 6 persons were killed on Saturday and 28 others injured when a blast occurred in a mosque at Mohalla Baqir Shah in congested Mina Bazaar area of the interior city.
According to SP Khalid Hamdani, around 30 to 35 people were offering Zuhr prayer at Jama Masjid in Mohalla Baqir Shah when a bomb planted nearby went off with a loud bang. As a result of the explosion, six persons were killed while 28 others sustained injuries. He said it was a time device placed inside the mehrab, the space for the prayer leader.
Police and rescue workers rushed to the scene soon after the blast. However, it was difficult for them to carry out rescue activities due to the congested streets and pathways.
Local people including shop keepers started the initial rescue work at the site till professionals arrived on the scene. The busy shopping bazaar where mostly shops of crockery and ladies tailors were situated was closed down after the blast.
Bomb Disposal Unit AIG Shafqat Malik, while talking to journalists, said at least 3 to 4 kilograms of explosives were used in the device.
He said the device exploded with the help of a remote control and no signs of suicide attacker were found from the scene. The squad later declared the mosque clear of any other explosive device.
Sources in Lady Reading Hospital, where an emergency situation was declared, confirmed that six bodies and 28 injured were brought to the hospital. They said condition of three injured was critical. Hospital sources were busy in ascertaining the identity of the dead while a list of injured persons was placed outside emergency services.
Independent sources confirmed the death of the Imam of the mosque in the blast.