Peshawar Update: Suicide attack death toll rises to 32, PM arrives to visit the injured

The death toll has risen to 32, while at least 147 people are reported to be injured in the suicide blast that ripped through Peshawar’s Police Lines mosque on Monday afternoon.

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Peshawar to visit the injured in the deadly attack. The premier will be briefed on all aspects of the blast.
• Spokesperson Lady Reading Hospital has confirmed the death of 32 people, including 18 policemen, while more than 140 people have been injured in the blast, most of whom are said to be in critical condition.
• The mosque’s imam, Sahibzada Noorul Amin, was killed in the blast, according to a list shared by the hospital.
• The outlawed outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the news source.

A suicide attack was carried out around 1:40 pm local time when the Zuhr prayers were being offered at the mosque after which the roof of the building also collapsed.

According to security officials, the terrorist was standing in the first row while the people in the first and second rows were affected mostly.

A rescue operation is currently underway at the location with heavy machinery to search for any survivors and injured under the debris.

Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Ijaz Khan while talking to the media briefed that the roof of the mosque collapsed after the blast.

“A number of jawans are still stuck under the rubble and rescuers are trying to pull them out,” he added.

He said that “The smell of explosives has been detected but it is too early to say anything substantial.”

According to him, 300 to 400 police personnel were present in the area at the time of the blast.

“It is apparent that a security lapse occurred,” the CCPO added.

He said that the bodies and injured persons had been moved to the LRH.