Lahore food street attack: 90 suspects arrested as death toll rises
The aim of the low-intensity blast was to invoke fear and panic among people, say officials.
Local residents gather at the site of an overnight bomb explosion at a food park in Lahore on July 7. PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE:
Ninety suspects have been arrested in Saturday's Lahore bomb blast, while the death toll rose to five on Sunday, Express News reported.
The police arrested workers from the Anarkali hotels operating on the street as part of its investigations, whilst people living in the area were being questioned regarding their visitors.
According to the police, the amount of explosives used in the bomb attack on Saturday was low, hinting that the aim of the blast was to invoke fear and panic among people.
Police said that the explosive material had been kept in a refrigerator, whose compressor was found in an undamaged condition. A Bomb Disposal Squad official said the bomb weighed five to six kilogrammes which left a huge crater at the site. The blast damaged nearby shops in the food street where families were dining. Since it was Saturday night, the food street was abuzz with diners at the time of the blast.
The human loss of life was a result of exploding glass and metal nearby.
The police has taken all nearby motorcycles and other material in its custody as part of its investigations.
The Anarkali food street area comes under the NA 120 constituency of the National Assembly, where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif proved victorious in the 2013 general elections.
Old Anarkali, famous for its eateries, is one of the most thickly populated and frequented areas of Lahore. A number of key official buildings, including the IGP office, are located in the neighbourhood.
Interestingly, there were no walkthrough gates or even a metal detector installed at the entrances to this bustling food street. Police claimed they had intelligence about possible security threats since last month. They added that a new strategy would be put in place to avoid such incidents during the holy month of Ramazan.
Ninety suspects have been arrested in Saturday's Lahore bomb blast, while the death toll rose to five on Sunday, Express News reported.
The police arrested workers from the Anarkali hotels operating on the street as part of its investigations, whilst people living in the area were being questioned regarding their visitors.
According to the police, the amount of explosives used in the bomb attack on Saturday was low, hinting that the aim of the blast was to invoke fear and panic among people.
Police said that the explosive material had been kept in a refrigerator, whose compressor was found in an undamaged condition. A Bomb Disposal Squad official said the bomb weighed five to six kilogrammes which left a huge crater at the site. The blast damaged nearby shops in the food street where families were dining. Since it was Saturday night, the food street was abuzz with diners at the time of the blast.
The human loss of life was a result of exploding glass and metal nearby.
The police has taken all nearby motorcycles and other material in its custody as part of its investigations.
The Anarkali food street area comes under the NA 120 constituency of the National Assembly, where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif proved victorious in the 2013 general elections.
Old Anarkali, famous for its eateries, is one of the most thickly populated and frequented areas of Lahore. A number of key official buildings, including the IGP office, are located in the neighbourhood.
Interestingly, there were no walkthrough gates or even a metal detector installed at the entrances to this bustling food street. Police claimed they had intelligence about possible security threats since last month. They added that a new strategy would be put in place to avoid such incidents during the holy month of Ramazan.