A blast at a religious seminary in Peshawar’s Dir Colony killed at least eight people, including children, and injured over a hundred, officials have said.
“The blast took place in a madrassa where unknown people had planted explosives in a plastic bag,” a police officer said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak with media. Children were among the dead, he said.
The bombing happened while a cleric was delivering a lecture about the teachings of Islam at the main hall of the Jamia Zubairia madrassa, said police officer Waqar Azim.
“The blast took place in a seminary during a Quran class. Someone took a bag inside the seminary and left the lecture hall before the blast,” Azim said.
Dawn reported a police official saying it could have been an improvised explosive device (IED) used in the bombing. “Five kgs of explosives were used in the blast.”
However, a spokesman for the Lady Reading Hospital nearby said it had received seven dead and 70 wounded patients on Tuesday, many with burns suffered in the blast. Several of the wounded were in critical condition, and hospital authorities feared the death toll could climb further.
Mohammad Ali Gandapur, another senior police official, confirmed the blast and details. He said two teachers were among the wounded.
No group claimed immediate responsibility for the attack.
The latest attack comes two days after a bombing in the southwestern city of Quetta killed three people.
