At least 35 killed, 200 injured in blast at JUI-F convention in KP’s Bajaur district

BAJAUR: As many as 35 people were confirmed dead and over 200 were wounded in a blast at a Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) convention in the Khar tehsil of Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker minister for information Mian Feroze Shah Jamal Kakakhel and local officials confirmed the death toll and said that the number of injured was over 200.

Bajaur District Health Officer Faisal Kamal said that more than 150 injured people had been brought to the district headquarters hospital while those in critical condition were being shifted to hospitals in Peshawar.

Footage of the site showed panic-stricken people running following the explosion.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan sought a detailed report on the blast from police and directed the authorities to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.

As soon as the news of the blast was reported, the police and rescue agencies rushed to the scene to provide assistance, and the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akhtar Hayat Khan confirmed that the initial investigation revealed that it was a suicide attack.

He added that the investigation teams are collecting evidence from the site of the blast.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Office said that PM Shehbaz has issued directives to investigate the incident and identify those who are responsible. IG Frontier Corps (FC) Major General Noor Wali Khan has reached Bajaur to supervise the situation. Meanwhile, CMH Peshawar has been put on an alert and a rescue operation by the security forces and other law enforcement agencies is underway. – Compiled from dispatches