10 dead, 77 injured in Lohari Gate blast

LAHORE:At least ten people including three policemen were killed while 77 others injured in a suicide attack at a police check-point along the main route of chehlum procession of Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) at Lohari Gate area here Tuesday evening.MS Mayo Hospital Dr Zahid Pervaiz told the media that 10 dead and 70 injured were brought to the hospital. He said that 25 of the 70 injured received grievous wounds and 15 of them were in a precarious condition.The MS said that the dead included a woman, a baby boy and a Peshawarite Zahid Shah who had come to the provincial metropolis to visit Data Gunj Bukhsh’s shrine.Meanwhile, the MS Ganga Ram Hospital Ijaz Sheikh confirmed that 7 people with minor injuries had been brought to the hospital.Earlier, CCPO Lahore Aslam Tareen while talking to the media termed the terrorist attack as suicidal, adding that a boy in his teens blew himself up on being searched at a police picket.The CCPO said that stringent security measures were adopted to provide security to the devotees visiting Data Darbar as well as the participants of the chehlum procession.
“The loss of life would have been far greater, had the suicide bomber managed to enter the main procession”, the CCPO asserted.The Lahore Police Chief said that the head of the suicide bomber had been recovered from the site of the blast and investigations were under way.Paying tribute to the martyred policemen, he said that the courage and valour of the police men averted huge catastrophe.SP (Security) Rana Faisal told media that the suicider, carrying a bag in his hand, detonated the explosive device on being asked to open the bag for search.DCO Lahore Ahad Cheema was the first to visit the blast site while provincial ministers, MPAs and officials of the Punjab government also visited the crime site.Later, Secretary Health Fawad Hassan Fawad visited Mayo Hospital and inquired after health of the injured.The Secretary Health directed the MS Mayo Hospital to provide best medical treatment to the injured of the blast.The explosion destroyed many vehicles including a police car (LZD-3476) bearing chasis number 4779744 white coloured parked nearby and also smashed the window-panes of the nearby buildings.The car was under the use of Allama Iqbal Town Mujahid Force squad.Security has been beefed up on all entrance and exit points of the city in the aftermath of the suicide attack – APP