ISLAMABAD, April 3 (Xinhua) — At least 42 people were killed and over one hundred others injured in three serial blasts that occurred Sunday afternoon at a crowded shrine in Pakistan’s central city of Deraghazi Khan, reported local Urdu TV channel Geo by quoting rescue officials.
According to the local media reports, hundreds of people coming from different parts of the country were gathering inside the shrine to pay their tribute to the great saint when the blasts took place.
The first blast, which has been confirmed to be of suicide nature, took place at about 17:40 pm local time at the front part of the shrine, which is located at the top of a mountain some 40 kilometers away from the afore-said city, followed by a second blast at the back part of the shrine.
In the first two blasts, a dozen people were reportedly killed and over 60 others injured, said sources in the city in a telephone interview with Xinhua.
The third blast, which did not come until about an hour later, took place somewhere near the shrine where people were busy with helping the injured people on the blast site.
The nature of the second and third blasts has not been determined. Some local media reported that the third blast is also of suicide nature.
Prior to the third blast, police reportedly arrested two suspected terrorists on the spot including one wearing suicide jacket. The suicide bomber arrested by the police is said to be from the northwestern part of the country.
