Car bomb kills 32 in Faisalabad
* 125 injured as terrorists detonate explosives-laden car near office of security agency
* TTP says ISI office was targeted in revenge for killing of their colleague
* TTP says ISI office was targeted in revenge for killing of their colleague
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LAHORE: A massive bomb blast ripped through a gas station in Faisalabad on Tuesday killing at least 32 people and wounding 125 others, a private TV channel reported.
The explosion also damaged nearby buildings, including an office of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), AP reported.
AP said the attack took place close to the office of an intelligence agency but the building remained undamaged.
A senior government official, Naseem Sadiq, said explosives were planted in a vehicle parked at the gas station.
Regional police chief, Aftab Cheema, confirmed the attack in Faisalabad, the country’s textile capital. “We are investigating whether a suicide bomber was involved or not,” Cheema added.
Television pictures showed the station had been reduced to a pile of bricks as rescue officials worked to remove rubble from the scene to search for survivors.
Faisalabad Commissioner, Tahir Husain, told a private television channel that rescue officials were heaving bricks and metal away to save those trapped.
District Civil Defence Officer, Chaudry Riaz Ahmed said, “A Toyota Corolla carrying about 40 kg of explosives was parked near the filling station. It exploded around 10.25am.”
“We have received 22 bodies so far. They are all in the mortuary,” said Safdar Ali, in charge of the mortuary at Allied Hospital in Faisalabad. An eyewitness, Ijaz Hussain, told reporters at the site that he heard a loud blast before chaos ensued.
“It was a deafening blast. I thought the ground had been jolted by an earthquake. Everybody was running here and there to save their lives,” said Hussain.
An administration official at the scene, Liaquat Chatta, told AFP by telephone that the entire station’s building collapsed and many vehicles were completely destroyed.
The commissioner told the private TV channel that that no suicide attacker was involved. “It was not a suicide attack,” he said.
Pakistan has been rocked by violence in recent years, mostly targeting security officials.
Some 4,000 people have been killed in blasts, suicide and gun attacks blamed on Taliban and alQaeda fighters since Pakistan troops stormed Red Mosque in Islamabad in July 2007.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Taliban said they carried out the car bombing, AP said.
Taliban spokesman, Ahsanullah Ahsan, said target of the blast was an office of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Ahsan said the blast was revenge for the killing of a militant by security forces in Faisalabad last year.
Traders and businessmen of Faisalabad have announced to observe Wednesday (today) as a day of mourning against the blast.
A spokesman of Anjuman Tajran City, Faisalabad, expressed deep sorrow and grief over a large number of deaths in the blast and said that all shopping centres, bazaars, markets and plazas would remain close on Wednesday.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani have also expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the blast.
Both expressed their sympathies with the families of deceased and with those injured in the incident.
The president ordered inquiry into the incident and asked the authorities to ensure that the concerned hospitals provide best medical facilities to the injured.
Expressing sorrow over the incident, Gilani expressed his sympathies with the families of deceased as well as those injured in this incident. daily times monitor/agencies
LAHORE: A massive bomb blast ripped through a gas station in Faisalabad on Tuesday killing at least 32 people and wounding 125 others, a private TV channel reported.
The explosion also damaged nearby buildings, including an office of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), AP reported.
AP said the attack took place close to the office of an intelligence agency but the building remained undamaged.
A senior government official, Naseem Sadiq, said explosives were planted in a vehicle parked at the gas station.
Regional police chief, Aftab Cheema, confirmed the attack in Faisalabad, the country’s textile capital. “We are investigating whether a suicide bomber was involved or not,” Cheema added.
Television pictures showed the station had been reduced to a pile of bricks as rescue officials worked to remove rubble from the scene to search for survivors.
Faisalabad Commissioner, Tahir Husain, told a private television channel that rescue officials were heaving bricks and metal away to save those trapped.
District Civil Defence Officer, Chaudry Riaz Ahmed said, “A Toyota Corolla carrying about 40 kg of explosives was parked near the filling station. It exploded around 10.25am.”
“We have received 22 bodies so far. They are all in the mortuary,” said Safdar Ali, in charge of the mortuary at Allied Hospital in Faisalabad. An eyewitness, Ijaz Hussain, told reporters at the site that he heard a loud blast before chaos ensued.
“It was a deafening blast. I thought the ground had been jolted by an earthquake. Everybody was running here and there to save their lives,” said Hussain.
An administration official at the scene, Liaquat Chatta, told AFP by telephone that the entire station’s building collapsed and many vehicles were completely destroyed.
The commissioner told the private TV channel that that no suicide attacker was involved. “It was not a suicide attack,” he said.
Pakistan has been rocked by violence in recent years, mostly targeting security officials.
Some 4,000 people have been killed in blasts, suicide and gun attacks blamed on Taliban and alQaeda fighters since Pakistan troops stormed Red Mosque in Islamabad in July 2007.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Taliban said they carried out the car bombing, AP said.
Taliban spokesman, Ahsanullah Ahsan, said target of the blast was an office of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Ahsan said the blast was revenge for the killing of a militant by security forces in Faisalabad last year.
Traders and businessmen of Faisalabad have announced to observe Wednesday (today) as a day of mourning against the blast.
A spokesman of Anjuman Tajran City, Faisalabad, expressed deep sorrow and grief over a large number of deaths in the blast and said that all shopping centres, bazaars, markets and plazas would remain close on Wednesday.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani have also expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the blast.
Both expressed their sympathies with the families of deceased and with those injured in the incident.
The president ordered inquiry into the incident and asked the authorities to ensure that the concerned hospitals provide best medical facilities to the injured.
Expressing sorrow over the incident, Gilani expressed his sympathies with the families of deceased as well as those injured in this incident. daily times monitor/agencies
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