Pak blast highlights: Death number in Peshawar explosion rises to 70, 150 injured

Pakistan Mosque Blast Live updates: The attack was the city's worst since March last year, when a suicide bombing at a Shi'ite Muslim mosque during Friday prayers killed at least 58 people and injured nearly 200.

An explosion in a mosque killed at least 59 worshippers and wounded over 150 in Pakistan's Peshawar, a hospital official said. Many of the casualties were police officers who had gathered for daily prayers, Reuters reported, citing city police chief. 

The mosque was located close to a police housing block, and there were over 300 people inside when the blast occurred, according to police. The blast occurred near the Police Lines area around 1.40 pm when a suicide attacker blew himself up during the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers.

Follow all the updates here:

• Jan 31, 2023 12:35 AM IST

  Peshawar mosque attack: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to observe a day of mourning

  KP Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan has announced a day of mourning for the victims of Peshawar mosque attack in the province on Tuesday, reports Geo news

• Jan 30, 2023 11:57 PM IST

  Notification issued against entry of guests in Peshawar Police Lines as attacker allegedly lived in family quarters 

  A notification issued by the Additional Inspector General Quarter banned the entry of guests in the Peshawar Police Lines and cautioned to take strict action against violators, reports Geo news. There are family quarters built inside the Police Lines and police is investigating if the attacker already lived in the area.

• Jan 30, 2023 10:48 PM IST

  Pak blast updates: Toll mounts to 59 as cops say more injured stuck under debris

  Death toll in mosque blast in Pakistan’s Peshawar has risen to 59, Reuters reported citing the Hospital.

• Jan 30, 2023 10:33 PM IST

  Pakistan blast updates: Toll in Peshawar explosion rises to 48, over 157 injured

  The death toll has mounted to 48, while157 injured in Taliban suicide attack at mosque in high-security zone in Pakistan's Peshawar, reports PTI

• Jan 30, 2023 10:28 PM IST

  Suicide bomber breached high security: Police

  Peshawar police said the attacker appeared to have passed through several barricades manned by security forces to get into the "Red Zone" compound that houses police and counter-terrorism offices in the volatile northwestern city, reported Reuters. 

• Jan 30, 2023 09:44 PM IST

  'Attack on Pakistan': Shehbaz Sharif meets victims of Peshawar blast

  Peshawer: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif inquires after the injured of Peshawer Police Lines terrorist attack at Lady Reading Hospital pic.twitter.com/xjOnsfH0Ww

  — External Publicity Wing (@epwing_official) January 30, 2023

• Jan 30, 2023 09:42 PM IST

  This is no less than an attack on Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif

  Just returned from Peshawar. The sheer scale of the human tragedy is unimaginable. This is no less than an attack on Pakistan. The nation is overwhelmed by a deep sense of grief. I have no doubt terrorism is our foremost national security challenge.

  — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) January 30, 2023

• Jan 30, 2023 09:12 PM IST

  4 men still trapped in the wreckage: Report

  As darkness fell, at least four men were still trapped in the wreckage, visible through cracks in the concrete, alongside bodies yet to be recovered, reports AFP.

• Jan 30, 2023 08:59 PM IST

  Azerbaijan condemns Peshawar mosque attack

  Shocked & saddened by the news on #terrorist attack at the mosque in #Peshawar, #Pakistan. Heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims & wish speedy recovery for injured.
  
  Our solidarity & support is with brotherly Islamic Republic of Pakistan 🇵🇰. @ForeignOfficePk

  — MFA Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 (@AzerbaijanMFA) January 30, 2023

• Jan 30, 2023 08:47 PM IST

  Pakistan on high alert after mosque blast in Peshawar

  Pakistan has been put on high alert after the blast, with checkpoints ramped up and extra security forces deployed. In capital city Islamabad, snipers were deployed at many places to strengthen security measures, reported AFP.

• Jan 30, 2023 08:38 PM IST

  Police and security officials targeted in Pakistan mosque blast; toll reaches 47: Report

  Police officers and security officials were targeted and accounted for 'most' deaths in the mosque blast in Pakistan's Peshawar which happened on Monday, reported Reuters. Official death toll stands at 47 even as scores of injuries are being reported amid a frantic evacuation bid.

• Jan 30, 2023 08:12 PM IST

  Pak cricketer Naseem Shah condemns Peshawar blast

  Sad to hear the devastating news of the #PeshawarBlast. My condolences to the victims and their families. May Allah bring back the peace we as a nation deserve! #Peshawar #Peshawarunderattack pic.twitter.com/bFg4mLGHSE

  — Naseem Shah (@iNaseemShah) January 30, 2023

• Jan 30, 2023 08:07 PM IST

  Peshawar hospital capable of coping with such emergencies: Imran Khan's Party PTI

  Lady Reading Hospital is capable of coping with such emergencies, and public is requested to cooperate with the hospital administration. The attack is highly condemnable, entire country is standing firm with families of Shuhadahs and praying for them :: @Jhagra#PeshawarBlast pic.twitter.com/RaToKxwttp

  — PTI (@PTIofficial) January 30, 2023

• Jan 30, 2023 07:58 PM IST

  Pakistan blast updates: Toll in Peshawar explosion rises to 47, over 153 injured

  #PeshawarBlast Update: 47 killed and 153 injured in a suicide attack in a mosque at Police Lines.
  
  In this video;
  - a mother cries her heat out after knowing that her son is no more.
  - Hospital officials on loudspeakers asking for blood donation.#Pakistan pic.twitter.com/LeUv9wDTjf

  — Bashir Ahmad Gwakh (@bashirgwakh) January 30, 2023

• Jan 30, 2023 07:55 PM IST

  Suicide blast, a revenge for killing Pak Taliban commander Umar Khalid Khurasani, claims his brother

  A brother of the slain commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Umar Khalid Khurasani claimed that the suicide blast was part of the revenge attack for his brother who was killed last August in Afghanistan, reports PTI

• Jan 30, 2023 07:29 PM IST

  Such acts are against the teachings of Islam: Pak President

  Pakistan president Arif Alvi condemned the Peshawar mosque attack. He said that such acts of terrorism are against the teachings of Islam. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured in the attack. Patience for the heirs of Jameel for those martyred in the blast, he tweeted. 

• Jan 30, 2023 07:06 PM IST

  “I am shattered…” Malala Yousafzai over Pak mosque attack

  I am shattered and heartbroken that so many people lost their lives or suffered injuries in the attack on a mosque in Peshawar Police Lines. I urge the government & security forces to fight terrorism in all forms & protect every citizen. My prayers are with the victims' families.

  — Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) January 30, 2023

• Jan 30, 2023 06:43 PM IST

  Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif urges party workers to donate blood for those injured in attack

  Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif has urged its party workers to donate blood to save the lives of those injured in the suicide attack. People with 'O-Negative' blood are appealed to immediately reach Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar to save the lives, he wrote on Twitter.

   

   

• Jan 30, 2023 06:23 PM IST

  ‘We need peace…’: Pak cricketers condemn Peshawar blast

  Pakistan cricketers on Monday condemned the blast which took place at a mosque in Pakistan's Peshawar, killing 46 people and injuring over 100. Read more

• Jan 30, 2023 06:21 PM IST

  "Blast took place just…": Witness recalls moments after explosion

  Shahid Ali, a policeman who survived, said the explosion took place seconds after the imam started prayers. “I saw black smoke rising to the sky. I ran out to save my life,” the 47-year-old told AFP.

• Jan 30, 2023 05:58 PM IST

  PM Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister depart for Peshawar

  Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said he and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had departed for Peshawar. “The premier will be briefed on all aspects of the blast,” he said on Twitter, adding that PM Shehbaz would also visit the injured, reports Dawn.

• Jan 30, 2023 05:52 PM IST

  Pakistan Taliban commander claimed responsibility for suicide bombing at mosque which killed nearly 50

  Sarbakaf Mohmand, a commander for the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack at mosque which killed nearly 50, reports AP

• Jan 30, 2023 05:32 PM IST

  Pakistan blast updates: Toll in Peshawar explosion rises to 46, over 100 injured

   

  Lady Reading Hospital officials said 46 people have died so far. However, the Peshawar Police has released a list of 38 victims, reports PTI

• Jan 30, 2023 05:25 PM IST

  Militant violence spiked by 22% in 2022 in Pakistan: Report

  According to the Islamabad-based Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, militant violence spiked by 22% in 2022 compared with 2021, reported Bloomberg. 

• Jan 30, 2023 05:17 PM IST

  What Pakistan Defence Minister said

  "We're getting that the terrorist was standing in the first row," Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Geo TV, reported Reuters

• Jan 30, 2023 04:58 PM IST

  Death toll in Peshawar explosion rises to 32, 147 injured

  Death toll in Peshawar explosion rises to 32, 147 injured, reports Reuters citing hospital spokesperson. 

• Jan 30, 2023 04:45 PM IST

  Rescue operation still on: Police

  Rescuers scrambled trying to remove mounds of debris from the mosque grounds and get to worshippers still trapped under the rubble, AFP reported citing police.

• Jan 30, 2023 04:21 PM IST

  'Don't know how..': Witness recalls moments after explosion

  A survivor, 38-year-old police officer Meena Gul, said he was inside the mosque when the bomb went off. He said he doesn't know how he survived unhurt. He could hear cries and screams after the bomb exploded, Gul said.

• Jan 30, 2023 04:16 PM IST

  Blast at mosque in Pakistan's Peshawar targets police 

  The blast at mosque targeted police. Most of the casualties were police officers who had gathered for noon prayers, reports Reuters.

• Jan 30, 2023 04:05 PM IST

  What we know so far on the blast 

  No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, known as the Pakistan Taliban, has carried out a number of suicide attacks in the past, targeting security personnel.

• Jan 30, 2023 03:57 PM IST

  Security increased in major cities in Pakistan following Peshawar blast 

  Security has been beefed up in other major cities, including Islamabad, after the Peshawar blast.

• Jan 30, 2023 03:53 PM IST

  What Peshawar city deputy commissioner said

  "I am here at the scene and rescue work is ongoing," said Peshawar city deputy commissioner Shafiullah Khan. "More bodies are being taken out. Currently our priority is to save people buried under the debris."

• Jan 30, 2023 03:42 PM IST

  What Pakistan local media said on the blast 

  According to doctors, more than 10 injured people were in critical condition. The area has been completely sealed and only ambulances are being allowed to enter the locality, according to Dawn.

• Jan 30, 2023 03:39 PM IST

  Former Pakistan PM condemns ‘terrorist suicide attack’ in Peshawar

  Former Prime Minister Imran Khan also condemned the bombing, calling it a “terrorist suicide attack" in a Twitter posting. “My prayers & condolences go to victims families," said the ex-premier. “It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering & properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism.”

• Jan 30, 2023 03:36 PM IST

  Pakistan PM condemns bombing, vows ‘stern action’

  Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a statement condemned the bombing, and ordered authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment to the victims. He also vowed “stern action" against those who were behind the attack.

• Jan 30, 2023 03:34 PM IST

  ‘Emergency situation’ in Peshawar following blast 

  Part of the mosque roof and wall had collapsed and bloodied survivors limped from the wreckage, as dead bodies were ferried away in ambulances, an AFP reporter saw.

  "It's an emergency situation," Muhammad Asim Khan, a spokesman for the main hospital in Peshawar, told AFP.

• Jan 30, 2023 03:28 PM IST

  Where did the blast take place?

  Peshawar is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan and has been the scene of frequent militant attacks.

• Jan 30, 2023 03:27 PM IST

  Suicide bomber suspected, police say

  The bomber detonated his suicide vest as some 150 worshipers — including many policemen from nearby police offices — were praying inside. The impact of the explosion collapsed the roof of the mosque, which caved in and injured many, according to Zafar Khan, a local police officer.

• Jan 30, 2023 03:25 PM IST

  What Pakistan police said on the blast 

  The blast occurred near the Police Lines area around 1.40 pm when a suicide attacker blew himself up during the Zuhr (afternoon) prayers.

• Jan 30, 2023 03:24 PM IST

  Pakistan Peshawar Explosion: What we know so far 

  The mosque was located close to a police housing block, and there were some 260 people inside when the blast occurred, according to police.