Six killed in Matani Bazar explosion

Six people were killed and 11 critic­ally injure­d when an explos­ion took place in the Matan­i Bazar near...

PESHAWAR: An explosion took place on Sunday morning in the Matni area near Peshawar, leaving six people dead and 11 injured.

Express 24/7 correspondent Umar Farooq reported that the blast took place in the Matani Bazar which is located 28 km from the provincial capital.

"The blast took place at a bus stop and it seems the bomb was planted," said Raheem Khan, a police inspector.

"We have reports that six people were killed and 11 wounded," khan told AFP.

Peshawar police chief Mohammad Ijaz said a remote controlled device was used in the bombing.

"It appears to be a remote controlled bomb placed in a passenger vehicle waiting to leave for a rural area," he said, adding that three other vehicles were also damaged.

He quoted witnesses as saying a man boarded the vehicle and left after leaving a package inside, telling people that he would be back soon.

Shortly afterwards a huge blast ripped through the vehicle. The casualties were mostly among the passengers, he added.

The dead included three women and one child, he said, adding that the wounded also included two women.

The injured have been shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital for treatment.

Farooq reports that the Matni area is frequented by residents from nearby Kohat, Peshawar and Khyber Agency as well as locals from the Matni area, who go there to buy daily commodities.

Correction: June 5, 2011

Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this news report misstated the shopping area to be Matangi bazar. The explosion took place in Matani bazar.