Anarkali explosion: Most victims had bones fractured

Visitors from K-P, Sindh, Balochistan among blast casualties

LAHORE:

The victims of the explosion in Anarkali included residents of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, South Punjab and several other districts of the province besides Lahore. A nine-year-old child, Absar Salman, who died in the incident, had come from Karachi to visit his uncle.

He died during treatment in a hospital. Lahore citizen Muhammad Razman Boota died on the spot. A 16-year-old resident of Rahim Yar Khan, Yasir Ali, died after struggling for his life for a few hours in a hospital.

The injured included 25-year-old Nisha Salman from Karachi, Shair Zaman, 18, from Mansehra, Arsalan Sabir, 17, from Muzaffargarh and Wahid Gul Rehman, 21, from Buner. Anwar, 45, Jameel Abdullah, 50, Abdullah Waseem, 22, Salam Ahmad, 37, Salman Islam, 31, Muhammad Sami, 25, Ijaz Karamat, 25, Haider Sultan, 30, Zaheer Iqbal, 54, Adeem Sheikh, 32, Ahmad Arshad, 27, Bilal Farasat, 30, Faisal Saed, 27, Tahir Hafeez, 33, Haider Tahir, 35, Arshad Khalid, 20, Azhar Nazar 42, Zawar Khan, 50, and Faisal Butt, 42, were also injured. The injured also included Nabeela Bibi, 45, and Rida Khalid, 22. Officials said a 70-year-old person injured in the explosion could not be identified till the evening.

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A medical officer told The Express Tribune that a higher number of the victims had fractured bones than those with burn injuries. Horrific scenes were witnessed at Mayo Hospital after the injured were shifted there. A large number of injured persons was rushed to the hospital. They were crying and shouting for help.

Meanwhile, a large number of senior government officers and prominent personalities from different walks of life also visited the site. Security measures at the hospital were increased, which also caused problems for the attendants of patients. The government had declared emergency in the hospital, calling all the staff to duty.

Punjab Health Minister Yaseem Rashid directed the doctors and staff of Mayo Hospital to remain present and provide the best possible services. She said the medical superintendent of the hospital was personally supervising the treatment of the injured patients. The minister directed the hospital administration to display a list of the injured people.

The provincial specialised healthcare and medical education secretary asked all staff members to stay alert. He appealed to the attendants to cooperate with the hospital administration. Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal and Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan visited the Mayo and Services Hospitals and enquired after the injured.

The chief secretary said every available medical facility was being provided to the injured persons and instructions had been issued immediately to the hospital management in this regard. The IGP said on the occasion that the police and intelligence agencies were working rigorously to bring the perpetrators of the incident behind the bars at the earliest.

The MS of Mayo Hospital and deputy MS of Services Hospital briefed the chief secretary on the treatment facilities. As per tradition, the police authorities issued orders after the explosion for tightening the security measures across the province.