Hundreds have been martyred or injured in two blasts which rocked Pakistan on Friday, news agencies reported.
The first blast took place near a mosque in the Mastung district of the southwestern province of Balochistan on Friday, as people gathered to celebrate the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).
The explosion killed at least 52 people and injured more than 100 others, Pakistan medical source was quoted as saying by news agencies.
Officials in Balochistan have declared a state of emergency. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Videos on social media and TV footage show an open area near a mosque strewn with the shoes of the dead and wounded after the powerful explosion in Mastung.
Some of the bodies had been covered with bedsheets, and residents and rescuers were seen rushing the wounded to hospitals, where a state of emergency had been declared and appeals were being issued for blood donations.
Balochistan’s Police Chief Abdul Khaliq Shaikh said the explosion near the procession of Al-Mawlid Al-Nabawi (Prophet birth anniversary) in Mastung was a suicide attack.
Government administrator Atta Ullah told Reuters news agency that those injured were taken to nearby hospitals and some were in a critical condition.
Second Blast Rocks Mosque
The second blast occurred during Friday prayers in a mosque in Hangu, a city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that is located about 100km (62 miles) from the provincial capital of Peshawar.
At least two people have been confirmed dead so far, according to rescue officials.
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING🇵🇰 :
Massive explosion reported inside a mosque during Friday prayers in Hangu dist, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Multiple casualties feared and many feared trapped under the rubbles pic.twitter.com/nWoI82iXZz
— OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) September 29, 2023
The blast caused the roof of the mosque to collapse, news agency reported, adding that between 30 and 40 people were trapped under the debris of the mosque.
Source: Agencies
