The blast took place in a madrassa where unidentified people had planted explosives in a plastic bag . At least seven people have died and more than 50 injured after an explosion during a class at a religious school in Pakistan, police have said.
An explosion at a religious school in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar has killed at least seven people and wounded 70 others, police officials say.
The blast occurred at the Spean Jamaat mosque, which also serves as a religious school for local children, at 8:30am local time (3:30 GMT) on Tuesday, police officials told .
Television footage from the scene of the blast showed significant damage to the interior of the mosque’s main prayer hall, with pockmarks dotting the ceiling and debris strewn across the floor.
Speaking to reporters, Peshawar city’s police chief Muhammad Ali Khan confirmed seven deaths and at least 72 wounded in the incident.
“This happened at 8:30am, children were reading the Quran here. That is when the explosion occurred,” he said.
“The initial investigation shows […] that 5-6 kg of explosive material was used… that a bag of explosives was left here.” Provincial health minister Taimur Khan Jhagra said the wounded were being treated at the Lady Reading Hospital, the city’s main government hospital.
“There have been 72 [wounded] patients brought to LRH, and there have been seven unfortunate deaths,” Jhagra told reporters at the hospital.
“Our sole focus right now is for the injured patients to be given the best possible care and so that they have the best chance to recover.”
