Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that it was a suicide attack, and the suicide bomber was in front rows of the worshippers when he blew himself up, killing and wounding dozens of people offering afternoon prayers in the mosque.
ISLAMABAD, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 people were killed and 70 others wounded after a powerful blast hit a mosque in Pakistan's northwest Peshawar city on Monday, police and hospital officials said.
Confirming the casualties, Mohammad Asim, spokesperson of the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told Xinhua that the wounded, including policemen, were being treated at the medical facility, adding that over 15 people of the wounded were in critical condition.
According to the police officials in Peshawar, the nature of the blast was being determined, and further information would be shared after investigation into the explosion.
Eyewitnesses from the area told Xinhua that it was a suicide attack, and the suicide bomber was in front rows of the worshippers when he blew himself up, killing and wounding dozens of people offering afternoon prayers in the mosque.
A portion of the mosque also collapsed and several people were believed to be buried under the collapsed building as a rescue operation was still underway, said the police.
Following the explosion, rescue teams, police and security forces reached the site and shifted the wounded people to the hospital. Police have cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the bombing.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. ■