Pakistan mosque blast death toll rises to 88 as militants give conflicting claims of responsibility
Pakistan mosque blast death toll rises to 88 as militants give conflicting claims of responsibility
The death toll from a suspected suicide bomb that ripped through a mosque at a police compound in northwestern Pakistan Monday has risen to at least 88, as the Pakistani Taliban gave conflicting claims of responsibility for one of the deadliest attacks in the country in years.
Mohammad Asim Khan, spokesperson from the Lady Reading Hospital in the city of Peshawar, on Tuesday confirmed the fatalities and said about another 50 blast victims were being treated for injuries.
Meanwhile, hope was fading in the search for survivors as rescue workers sifted through the debris and rubble of the mosque that was all but destroyed Monday, as worshipers, mainly law enforcement officials, gathered for evening prayers.
“We are not expecting anyone alive to be found. Mostly dead bodies are being recovered,” said Bilal Faizi, a rescue spokesperson.
Nasarullah Khan, a police official who survived the explosion, said he remembered seeing “a huge burst of flames” before becoming surrounded by a plume of black dust.
Khan said his foot broke in the blast and he was stuck in the rubble for three hours.
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