Peshawar (Web Desk): At least eight people were killed and more than 100 were injured in an explosion at a seminary in Peshawar’s Dir Colony.
The police and bomb disposal rushed to the scene and the locality was cordoned off for rescue operation.
According to police, the initial reports suggest that an improvised explosive device (IED) was used in the explosion that took place in the main hall of the madrasa (Seminary).
As per Rescue 1122, the injured have been shifted to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar where the condition of several of them is stated to be critical. They added that five kilograms of explosives were used in the blast.
Meanwhile, the injured have also been taken to Khyber Teaching Hospital, Hayatabad Medical Complex and Naseerullah Khan Babar Hospital.
President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly condemned the incident and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Condoling with the bereaved families, the PM expressed grief over the loss of lives and prayed for the speedy recovery of those wounded in the incident.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz strongly condemned the blast and said that those behind the attack on students have nothing to do with humanity.
Federal Minister for Interior Ijaz Shah, while condemning the blast, vowed not to spare those involved in the blast.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also condemned the incident.
Moreover, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif also condemned the blast, saying that those who targeted the madressah "could not be Muslims".
He said the incident reminded him of the 2014 Army Public School massacre in which 132 students and 17 school staff lost their lives and called for those responsible to be caught and punished.
PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz also condemned the explosion at the seminary and condoled with the victims and their families.<