LAHORE, Feb 23 (APP): At least seven persons were killed
and 30 others suffered injuries in a blast inside an under
construction plaza at Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Z-Block
commercial market, here on Thursday.
Talking to APP, DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf said the
nature of the blast was being investigated, adding it could be
either the generator blast or some other reason as the
building was under construction.
He said that they were investigating the matter from all
aspects, adding that he could not rule out possibility of any
terrorist activity but the evidences collected from the site
did not indicate any terrorist act.
He said that it was a powerful explosion due to which the
windowpanes of a restaurant, nearby buildings and parked
vehicles were shattered, while cars and motorcycles parked
outside the plaza were also damaged.
The rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the injured
to General Hospital and National Hospital Defence.
The people who were killed in the blast have been
identified as Javed, Imran Ikram, Moazzam Hayat, Aslam,
Shabbir, Habib while the identity of the seventh blast victim
could not be ascertained.
Those shifted to the General Hospital and National
Hospital included Zeeshan, Aqib, Waseem, Tahir Abbas, Faisal,
Adeel, Afzal, Ahmad Butt, Muhammad Mansha, Nasir, Riaz,
Muhammad Hafeez, Sunny Khokhar, Asif, Muhammad Jamil, Arslan,
Taseer Pervaiz, Waqar Qureshi and others.
The teams of Rescue 1122 and Edhi Foundation
completed the rescue and relief operation, whereas the law
enforcement agencies collected evidences from the scene to
probe the incident and nature of the blast.
However, the DIG Operations said that security had been
beefed up more in the provincial capital after the blast. He
said more policemen had also been deputed at all entry and
exit points, educational institutes, important buildings and
other places.
The DIG also urged people to inform police if they found
any suspicious activity and person in their surroundings.
Dr Haider Ashraf said search operations were being
conducted across the city whereas personnel were also
conducting patrolling at all important thoroughfares to
avoid any untoward incident.
PML-N Lahore president MNA Pervaiz Malik, Provincial
Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education
Khwaja Salman Rafique, Provincial Minister for Primary
Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir, Commissioner Lahore Abdullah
Sunbal, Lord Mayor Lahore Col. (retd) Mubashir Javaid and other
government officials visited the hospitals to inquire after
the injured of blast.