China
21:21, 23-Jun-2017
At least 50 killed, 250 injured in twin blasts in NW Pakistan
[]
Share
Copied
Updated at 7:00 p.m. BJT Saturday
At least 50 people have been killed and 250 people injured after Friday's twin blasts in Parachinar, reported Reuters citing a local hospital official.
Sabir Hussain, medical superintendent of Parachinar Hospital, said 60 of the injured were in a serious condition, and have been transferred to the larger city of Peshawar.
A faction of Pakistan-based sectarian militants, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, claimed responsibility on Saturday, Reuters reported.
Updated at 10:30 p.m. BJT
The death toll of the twin blasts in northwest Pakistan has risen to 25 and over 100 others were injured, according to CCTV reporter Gong Ming.
Local officials warned the toll could rise.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the "horrific"attack and called for advancing security across the country.
Updated at 9:21 p.m. BJT
At least 15 people were killed and 70 others injured in twin blasts at a market in Parachinar on Friday afternoon, reported Xinhua citing local Urdu TV channel Geo.
The first blast happened when shoppers were crowded in the market preparing for the Eid holidays, which marks the end of Ramadan. The second blast took place right after as people rushed to the site trying to help, reported AFP citing a local official.
A rescue operation is underway but the cause of the blasts is still unknown.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility.
Parachinar, the capital of Pakistan's northwest tribal area of Kurram Agency, is situated on a neck of Pakistani territory that juts into Paktia Province of Afghanistan.
Terrorism in Pakistan has become a destructive phenomenon in recent years. In 2017 alone, there have been almost 20 terror attacks in the country.
Friday's twin blasts was the second of such attack that rocked Pakistan within one day. At least 13 people were killed in a car bombing near a police checkpoint in Pakistan's southwest city of Quetta on Friday morning.
4123km