By NNN-PTI/APP,
Islamabad : At least 20 people, including three children, were killed and about 40 others injured in a powerful bomb blast targeting a prayer hall of the minority Shias in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar Friday.
The blast took place outside an Imambargah in the congested Kucha Risaldar area of the walled part of Peshawar.
Local TV channels reported that at least 20 people died in the blast which occurred in the evening hours when Shia shoppers crowded the area ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha festival.
About 25-30 kg of explosives were used in the huge blast, which damaged nearby houses, police said. The explosion also triggered a fire in shops and warehouses in the area and caused a power outage, hampering rescue work.
The explosives were believed to have been hidden inside a vehicle. The blast also damaged windowpanes over a wide area.
Reports said three children and four women were among the dead. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals where emergency has been declared.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack. There have been several instances of Shia prayer halls being targeted in Peshawar and other parts of the North West Frontier Province in the past few months.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Acting President Dr. Fehmida Mirza and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani have strongly condemned the bomb blast in Qissakhawani area of Peshawar .
They expressed their shock and grief over the loss of innocent lives and injuries.
President Zardari in a message said the perpetrators of such heinous act would be brought to justice.
He said the government was committed to fight the menace of terrorism and extremism and said such acts will not dent the government’s resolve to root out this menace.
The President also conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.
The Prime Minister in his message deplored the blast and said he was shocked to learn about the incident which caused loss of precious human lives.
He directed the concerned authorities to take care of the injured and ensure provision of medical care to them.
Acting President Dr. Fehmida Mirza has also strongly condemned the blast and offered her condolences to the bereaved families. She prayed for the early recovery of the injured in the tragic happening.