At least 50 people including women and kids were killed and over 200 others injured when a suicide bomber hit a public park in Pakistan's eastern Lahore city on Sunday evening, officials said.

Khawaja Salman Rafique, advisor to chief minister Punjab where Lahore is the capital city, confirmed the casualty figure and appealed residents to donate blood at the hospital to save the lives of the injured people as scores of them are in critical condition.

Haider Ashraf, deputy inspector general police, said that the suicide bomber blew himself up in the motorbike parking stand located near the main gate of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in the Lahore city.

He said that there were a large number of people inside the park when the blast happened. A number of minority Christian people was also visiting the park to celebrate the Easter festival,  he added.

All the recreational parks in the city were closed after the blast and people were directed to stay at home.

The injured people including a large number of women and kids were shifted to Jinnah Hospital and Sheikh Zaid Hospital where scores of them are said to be in critical condition.

Personnel from the Pakistani army has also reached the blast site to shift the injured people to the hospital.

The bomb disposal squad said that the suicide bomber was carrying an estimated eight to 10 kg of explosive materials in his explosive vest.

Police has found the body parts of the bomber and an investigation into the incident is being carried out.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Source:
courtesy of XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

by Xinhua News Agency

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