Injured residents are brought to hospital after an attack at a religious gathering in Mastung district of the southwestern province of Balochistan, Pakistan, September 29, 2023. /CFP
Injured residents are brought to hospital after an attack at a religious gathering in Mastung district of the southwestern province of Balochistan, Pakistan, September 29, 2023. /CFP
At least 57 people were killed and dozens injured on Friday after two blasts at a religious gathering in Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan, police and health officials said.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the blast.
The first explosion occurred near a mosque when people were gathering to celebrate Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, in the Kora Khan area of the Mastung district.
According to the preliminary reports and police investigation, it was a suicide attack. The relevant authorities are probing the matter and collecting forensic evidence to determine the exact nature of the explosion, according to the police.
Following the blast, security forces and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals in the district. A state of emergency has been imposed in all the hospitals in the district.
The second attack, in neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killed five people at a mosque, according to rescue officials. The roof collapsed, broadcaster Geo News said, trapping about 30 to 40 people under the rubble.
The attack involved two explosions, one of which was at the mosque gate and the other in the compound, an official said.
The provincial government announced three days of mourning across the province, with the national flag flying at half-mast on government buildings during the mourning period.
(With input from agencies)