At least 40 dead and 200 injured as horror blast rips through rally in Pakistan
Dozens of people have been killed and nearly 200 seriously wounded after a horror bombing in Pakistan.
The fatal blast, near the country's border with Afghanistan, happened at a rally by supporters of a pro-Taliban political leader in the country's northwestern Bajur district. Police and health officials have confirmed that at least 40 people have died during the terrifying incident - while a number of children are reportedly among the injured.
Senior police officer Nazir Khan said the workers convention of Maulana Fazlur Rehman's Jamiat Ulema Islam party was taking place on the outskirts of Khar, the capital of Bajur district, when the explosion took place.
The initial death toll was thought to be 10 people, but the number of fatalities has since more than quadrupled. The officer added that some of the wounded were taken to the city's main hospital, where many people are still fighting for their life. As a result, the death toll is likely to increase further over the coming hours and days.
Azam Khan, head of the emergency room at the city's main hospital, said 35 bodies were brought to the hospital and some have since been collected by grieving relatives. The number of wounded was now nearing 200, while many of those who earlier went to smaller clinics for medical aid have now been transferred for urgent care.
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One of the injured victims, Adam Khan, was hit by splinters in his leg and both hands. The 45-year-old said it was around 4pm local time when the the explosion knocked him to the ground. He said: "There was a lot of dust and smoke around and I was under some injured people." He added that he could 'hardly stand up' and witnessed chaotic scenes with 'scattered limbs' surrounding him.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the fatal blast (Pakistan's Emergency Rescue 1122)Government administrator Mohibullah Khan Yousufzai confirmed the death toll so far. He also said that some of the seriously wounded victims were being airlifted to nearby Peshawar to receive more advanced medical care.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is understood that the Islamic State group operates across the border in Afghanistan. Maulana Ziaullah, the local leader of Rehman's party, was among those confirmed dead.
Senator Abdur Rasheed and former lawmaker Maulana Jamaluddin were also on the stage at the rally, but escaped unhurt. Party officials said Rehman was not in attendance at the rally.
At least 40 people have been tragically pronounced dead (HANIFULLAH KHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Rehman, who was once the Leader of the Opposition in the war-torn nation, is considered to be a pro-Taliban leader and his political party is now a minor part of the coalition government in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
It comes as meetings are being organised across the country to mobilise supporters for the upcoming elections. Bajur, once used to be a tribal region but now a district, has been a safe haven for Islamic militants until recent years when Pakistani military carried out massive operations to eliminate militancy from the area. Militants still strike, with security forces and civilians regularly targeted.
Pictures from the scene show wounded people being carried in the chaotic aftermath of the explosion. The Bajur district was once a haven for Islamic militants, and it is the former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, a militant group that is a close ally of the Taliban government of Afghanistan.
The TTP was previously evicted from the area as a result of operations by the Pakistani military. The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese vice premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. However, some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in north-western Pakistan and elsewhere. In a statement sent to The Associated Press, the TTP condemned the bombing, saying it was aimed at pitching Islamists against each other.
Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, also condemned the bombing, adding: "Such crimes cannot be justified in any way." Though a separate group, the TTP remains a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021. The takeover emboldened the TTP who unilaterally ended a ceasefire agreement with the Pakistani government last November and have since stepped up attacks across the country.
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