Lahore blast kills at least 8

AFP

LAHORE -- At least eight people were killed and 28 injured after a bomb ripped through Lahore Thursday (February 23), officials said. It was the 10th attack in just under a fortnight, pointing to a resurgence in Islamist violence, AFP reported.

The blast, the second to hit the Punjab provincial capital this month, crumpled cars and sent panic rippling through the city after the wave of attacks across Pakistan killed more than 130 people.

"I saw so many bodies," said Imtiaz Ali, a barber who works opposite the blast site.

The bomb went off in a market crowded with shoppers, including children, the 34-year-old told AFP.

"When I came out, I first just saw smoke and dust... Bikes upturned," said Ali. "Cars destroyed. My own colleague's car windows blown out. My clients' cars blown out."

Police and administration officials confirmed it was a bomb, as provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique and rescuers supplied the casualty toll.

"Four people died on the spot, while another four died of their wounds in the hospital," Rafique said.

No group has yet claimed responsibility.

Do you like this article?

0 Comment(s)

Comment Policy * Denotes required field 1500 / 1500