At least 7 killed, 70 injured in blast at seminary in Peshawar's Dir Colony

At least 7 people were killed and more than 70 injured in an explosion on Tuesday morning at a seminary in Peshawar's Dir Colony.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Mansoor Aman confirmed the explosion and said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the blast.

Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson Mohammad Asim said that seven dead bodies and 70 injured — including children — have been brought to the facility.

He stated that the injured were being provided with immediate medical attention and the hospital's director was present at the emergency ward. He added that an emergency had also been declared at the medical facility.

"The blast took place in a seminary during a Quran class. Someone took a bag inside the seminary," Waqar Azim, a senior police official, told AFP.

Mohammad Ali Gandapur, another senior police official, confirmed the details. He said two teachers were among the wounded.

Meanwhile, SSP Aman initial reports suggest an improvised explosive device (IED) was used in the explosion. The area has been cordoned off and police teams are collecting evidence, he added.

Last month, five people were killed and two others injured in a blast in the Akbarpura area of Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

District Police Officer (DPO) Najamal Hassan said that the explosion occurred in a market situated along the Kabul River. "Some people were collecting scrap material from the stones alongside the river. Some of the scrap included explosive material which detonated when they were weighing it."

COURTESY DAWN NEWS!

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