Seven killed, 18 injured in K-P’s Lakki Marwat explosion

At least seven people were killed and more than 18 others injured in an explosion in the Sarai Naurang area of Lakki Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on Tuesday, hospital sources said.

According to police, the blast occurred near the Naurang railway crossing and was so powerful that its sound was heard far and wide. The DSP Sarai Naurang said the nature of the explosion was being determined.

Hospital administration confirmed that two traffic police personnel were among those killed in the blast. They also confirmed that more than 18 people were injured, including a woman and children.

Following the explosion, people fled in panic. Police and law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area, while rescue teams shifted the dead and injured to the hospital.

The deceased and injured were transferred to the District Headquarters hospital, Lakki Marwat, and an emergency was imposed at Sarai Naurang hospital.

K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi took notice of the explosion and sought a report on the incident from the Inspector General of Police.

“The martyrdom of two traffic police personnel and five civilians in the incident is deeply tragic,” he said.

The chief minister said the provincial government shared the grief of the victims’ families and would provide every possible assistance. He also directed authorities to ensure the provision of the best possible medical facilities to those injured.

Read: Death toll from Bannu police attack rises to 15

K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the explosion and expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of innocent people.

In a statement, the governor expressed sympathy with the families of the victims and said he shared their grief in this difficult time.

He also expressed good wishes for the speedy recovery of those injured in the blast and said the increasing incidents of terrorism across the province, particularly in the southern districts, were deeply alarming.

He called on the provincial government to take serious and practical measures to uphold the rule of law and ensure lasting peace.

The governor said terrorists involved in shedding the blood of innocent people deserved no leniency and described them as enemies of peace and humanity in the province.

He added that the sacrifices made by the people of the province, police and security forces in the fight against terrorism would not go in vain.

On Sunday, the number of police personnel martyred in a brazen attack on a Bannu police checkpoint rose to 15, as a banned outfit, Ittehad Mujahideen Pakistan, belonging to Fitna al-Khawarij, claimed responsibility.

On the night between Saturday and Sunday, terrorists rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the Fateh Khel police checkpoint in Bannu, triggering a massive blast that completely reduced the structure to rubble.

Bannu Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sajjad Khan said that a total of 18 police personnel were present at the checkpoint at the time of the attack.

"Of them, 15 embraced martyrdom on the spot, while three sustained serious injuries," he said.

The explosion also caused extensive damage to nearby residential buildings and structures.