2 dead, 16 injured in blast in Pakistan’s Lahore

The city’s deputy commissioner Mudassir Riaz Malik, who was at the site, said women and children are also among the injured. The blast also left behind a crater.

At least two people died and 16 others were injured in a blast in Pakistan’s Lahore on Wednesday, Dawn reported. The blast occurred at Lahore’s Johar town and the injured have been shifted to Jinnah Hospital while law enforcement officials try to ascertain the reason behind the blast, the report further said.

The city’s deputy commissioner Mudassir Riaz Malik, who was at the site, said women and children are also among the injured. The blast also left behind a crater.

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Riaz said that the area is cordoned off and officials are working to know the reason behind the blast. Lahore’s Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mehmood Dogar said that the injured have been shifted to Jinnah Hospital for further treatment.

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The Punjab Emergency Service, also known as Rescue 1122, who are carrying out rescue services at the location said that more injuries are expected. A spokesperson for the rescue service said that they are uncertain whether a gas pipeline burst or a cylinder caused the blast.

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The chief minister of Punjab province Usman Buzdar demanded that the people responsible for the blast be brought to justice. The chief minister’s office in a tweet said that Buzdar has demanded a report from the police regarding the blast in Johar town and ordered immediate investigation into the incident. Buzdar’s office said that an emergency has been declared at Jinnah Hospital and other medical facilities treating the injured.