(Courtesy Reuters/CCTV) — A suicide blast killed at least 70 people and injured more than 300 others in a public park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday evening.
A large number of the victims were women and children, as many mothers had taken their children to the park to celebrate Easter.
After the explosion, pools of blood could be seen at the blast site and people, mostly women and children, were rushing out of the park with blood dripping from their heads and limbs.
The injured victims were taken to Jinnah Hospital and Sheikh Zaid Hospital, where scores of them are said to be in critical condition.
The bomb disposal squad said the suicide bomber was carrying an estimated eight to 10 kilograms of explosive materials in his suicide vest.
“We are using specialized agencies, like for instance, counter terrorism, to investigate. There are certain things that can lead us to the probable suicide bomber and the persons who are behind this attack,” said Haider Ashraf, Deputy Inspector General of Lahore.
Witnesses said the park had several entrances, but none of them had a proper security checking system.
All recreational parks in the city were closed after the blast and people were told to stay at home.
The government of Punjab announced three days of mourning over the incident, while the governments in the country’s southern Sindh province and southwestern Balochistan province announced one day of mourning.
Both the country’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain condemned the blast and directed hospital administration to provide the best possible medical treatment to the injured people.
A Pakistani Taliban splinter group has claimed responsibility for the deadly suicide attack.
