A blast inside a mosque shook Peshawar’s Police Lines area on Monday, with officials saying that at least 28 people were killed and 150 were injured.
Peshawar Commissioner Riaz Mehsood confirmed the casualties, adding that a rescue operation was underway inside the mosque.
“An emergency has been imposed at hospitals across the city and injured persons are being provided the best medical facilities,” the senior official said.
Meanwhile, Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim told that a number of injured persons were in critical condition.
Speaking to the media, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Muhammad Ijaz Khan said that the roof of the mosque collapsed after the blast. “A number of jawans are still stuck under the rubble and rescuers are trying to pull them out.”
“The smell of explosives has been detected but it is too early to say anything substantial,” he said.
Khan said between 300 to 400 police officials were present in the area at the time of the blast. “It is apparent that a security lapse occurred,” the CCPO told the media.
He added that the bodies and injured persons have been moved to the LRH.
Standing alongside Khan, KP Governor Haji Ghulam Ali urged the people of Peshawar to donate blood for the injured, saying that it would be a “huge favour for the police”.
