At least 17 martyred, several injured as blast takes place at a Peshawar’s mosque

PESHAWAR, Jan 30 (SABAH): At least seventeen people on Monday were martyred while 70 others, including 15 police personnel, suffered injuries as blast ripped through Police Lines mosque in Peshawar.

Security officials said the explosion took place at around 1:40pm as Zuhr prayers were being offered, resultantly roof of the mosque caved in.

The blast took place at the mosque where a large number of people had gathered for prayer, police official Sikandar Khan said. “A portion of the building had collapsed and several people are believed to be under it,” Khan added.

Police and rescuers shifted the injured to the Lady Reading Hospital. The authorities, who are assessing the nature of the blast, immediately cordoned off the area.

Videos and pictures shared by social media users show horrific scenes as the injured drenched in blood were shifted to local medical centres for first aid.

Soon after the blast, PTI Chairman Imran Khan took to Twitter to condemn the attack.