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QUETTA, Nov 12 (APP): At least 52 persons, including women and
children, were killed and over 110 injured in a bomb blast at the courtyard of Shah Norani shrine located in the mountainous area of Balochistan on Saturday evening.
Provincial Home Minister, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed that Shah Norani
explosion claimed 43 lives. However, hospital sources at Jam Ghulam Qadir Civil Hospital industrial town of Hub reported 45 dead and over 100 injured.
“At least 45 bodies and over 100 injured including women and children
were brought at the hospital,” they said.
Incharge Eidhi Ambulance Hub, Dr. Hukam Lasi said 50 Eidhi
ambulances took part in the rescue operation, adding condition of several injured was very serious. “Several injured have been transported to Karachi from Hub due to their critical condition,” he said.
Tehsildar, Javed Iqbal said Levies Force and private vehicles
transported injured to Hub from Shah Norani. “Shah Norani is no more a populated area having no mobile phone service and inadequate electricity supply,” he said.
He, however, said a power generator provided electricity to the
shrine. Local Levies Force had less number of official vehicles which were also used in rescue operation to shift injured from Shah Norani to Hub, he added.
The Tehsildar further said over 1,000 people from different parts
of the country, especially Karachi, were present at the courtyard of the shrine when the explosion occurred.
He said the dead and the injured were transported in private and Levies
Force vehicles to hospitals in Hub and Karachi.
Commissioner Kalat Division, Muhammad Hashim Ghalzai said Levies
Force reported him that a 14 to 16-years-old boy exploded himself while participating in Dhamal.
“According to Levies Force, it was a suicide blast as a boy aged
between 14 to 16 years carried out suicide blast when the visitors were engaged in Dhamal,” he said.
He said ambulances were dispatched from Khuzdar while the Civil Hospital
Khuzdar was put on alert.
According to Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, the explosion
took place when the visitors were engaged in “Dhamal”, a traditional folk dance.
He said ambulances and rescue teams from Lasbela and Hub rushed to Shah
Norani. “It takes some three hours from Hub to reach the Shah Noorani shrine, which is located in difficult mountainous area, where mobile phone service also does not work,” he added.
He said helicopter ambulance could not be used because of darkness.
Shrine’s caretaker (Khlifa) Nawaz Ali said usually 1,000 to 1,500 people
visited Shah Norani shrine on Saturdays to witness traditional “Dhamal” dance.
Federal Minister for Port and Shipping, Mir Hasil Khan Bezenjo said
terrorists targeted Shah Norani shrine after a chief of banned militant organization was killed in gun battle took place in Hub last day.
He said Balochistan had been facing challenge of terrorism. “Security
operation against terrorists continues in Balochistan and Shah Norani blast is a reaction of it,” he said.
Chief Minister Balochistan, Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri strongly
condemned the Shah Norani blast and ordered the officials to use all available resources in rescue operation.
He affirmed that his government would continue action against terrorists
to rid Balochistan of terrorism.
Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) officials said emergency had
been declared at Combined Military Hospitals.
A spokesman for Frontier Corps Balochistan told APP that FC had been
fully participating in rescue operation. “FC personnel along with ambulance have reached Shah Norani and they have been shifting dead and injured to hospitals,” he added.