LAHORE, Mar 27 (APP): As many as 65 persons, predominantly women
and children, were killed and 253 others injured in a high intensity
suicide attack at the children’s play area at Gate No. 1 of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park Allama Iqbal Town here on Sunday evening.
According to the Rescue 1122 spokesperson, 39 dead bodies
and 125 injured were received at the Jinnah Hospital, five dead
bodies and 48 injured at Sheikh Zayed Hospital, six dead bodies
and 41 injured at the Services Hospital, six dead-bodies and 33
injured at the Farooq Hospital A.I. Town while nine dead bodies
and 12 injured were received at the Mayo Hospital.
“81 injured were shifted to the Ganga Ram Hospital (20),
Lahore General Hospital (53) and Bajwa Hospital (08)”, added
the spokesperson.
The death-toll rose due to the rush at the site of the
blast as a large number of visitors, especially children and
women, had gathered at the park due to the Sunday holiday
besides scores of christians who were celebrating the Easter
festivities.
The play area for the children near the Gate No. 1 of the
Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park is very popular among the children and
the families as it houses several small or big swings and
other entertainments and attracts great rush, that is why the
soft-target was selected by the suicide bomber to cause
greater loss and create panic among the masses.
The explosion caused by the detonation of 20 kilogram
explosive device was heard at quite a distance and the police
and bomb disposal squad reached the spot. Later, the military
contingent also joined the rescue operation and cordoned off
the area.
The rescue teams and ambulances of Rescue 1122, Edhi
Foundation, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) and Khidmat
Khalq Foundation also reached the spot and shifted the dead
and the injured to the different hospitals of the city.
Punjab government immediately declared emergency in all
hospitals of the provincial capital.
DCO Capt. (R) Muhammad Usman, Capital City Police Officer
(CCPO) Capt. (R) Muhammad Amin Vains, and DIG Operations
Dr Haider Ashraf reached the site.
DIG (Operations) Dr. Haider Ashraf told APP that the
blast was a suicide attack, adding that the terrorists were
now focusing soft targets to cause maximum casualties and
damage.
He said the terrorists had earlier been targeting the
police, law enforcement agencies and other Services men and
buildings, however, effective security measures by the
security agencies had made it very difficult for the
terrorists to hit the high-profile targets.
He ruled out security lapse, adding that enough police
men and the park’s security guards were deputed at the park
but the number of the visitors was too big to manage.
“We are inspecting and investigating all the leads of the
incidents besides how the bomber entered the park,” he added.
Lahore DCO Capt. (R) Muhammad Usman Lahore DCO Capt (R)
Muhammad Usman notified that the national flag will fly half
mast on all public/official buildings in the provincial
capital for three days in mourning of the victims of
Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park blast.
He also announced that all city markets and bazaars
would remain closed tomorrow (Monday) to show respects to the
victims and solidarity with the bereaved families.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif
announced three-day mourning throughout the province over the
tragic incident of terrorist attack at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Park.
Condemning the dastardly act, the Chief Minister
expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious
human lives and sympathized with the bereaved families.