Blast kills 14 in Pakistan's southwest
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Islamabad, June 28, IRNA -- A blast killed at least 14 people near Pakistan’s southern city of Hyderabad on Monday, hospital sources and TV channels said.
The blast at Halanaka, an area on the outskirts of Hyderabad, the second largest city in the southern Sindh province, also injured around 40 people, an ambulance service said.
Halanaka area is a busy area where a large number of roadside hotels are located where drivers parked trucks for eating.
The blast destroyed several roadside hotels, two trucks and a nearby mosque. Electric polls were also damaged, suspending power supply to several parts in the area.
Regional Police Officer, Fayyaz Leghari said that nature of the blast is not clear as some eyewitnesses say gas cylinder or chemical on the trucks have caused the blast.
Leghari said preliminary investigation suggests that it was not act of terrorism, adding that investigation in underway to determine cause of the blast.
Ambulances were sent to the area to shift the injured to hospitals. Locals and police joined hands to remove bodies and injured to hospitals.
Doctors said that 10 injured are in critical condition at two main hospitals in the city. Several injured were also taken to private hospitals.
Paramilitary soldiers and police were deployed at the blast site and experts from bomb disposal squad collected evidence to determine cause of the blast.
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