In the aftermath: BDS clears Thursday’s explosion site, death toll rises to eight

Policemen deployed at premises, walkthrough gates and metal detectors installed.

PESHAWAR:

The bomb disposal squad (BDS) on Friday carried out a comprehensive search of the Tableeghi Markaz complex where an explosion during Maghrib prayers claimed eight lives a day earlier.

AIG Special Branch and BDS chief Shafqat Malik told The Express Tribune the search was conducted with the help of sniffer dogs and the building was cleared. It was a precautionary measure as two more bombs planted in the same hall of the complex were also defused soon after the explosion.



“We had a meeting with the administration of the markaz and told them they should exercise maximum caution and check every one entering the building,” said Malik, adding both explosive devices defused on Thursday night could have inflicted great damage had they not been spotted and defused.

“We were able to remove the mobile phones attached with both the bombs and their SIMs have been handed over to the investigation team,” he shared. Malik maintained the markaz administration has agreed to frisk every man entering the complex while BDS could be called in at any time for help.

Lauding their equipment, Malik said the bomb defusing robots did a great job on Thursday.



Police also provided walkthrough gates as well as metal detectors along with deploying a large contingent of personnel around the premises. “They (administration) have deployed their own volunteers, but police have also been deployed along with metal detectors as well as walkthrough gates,” said a police official.

Meanwhile, one of the injured victims of the blast succumbed to his injuries at Lady Reading Hospital on Friday afternoon, taking the death toll to eight. Fazale Rabi, a resident of Ganj, unsuccessfully fought for his life at the hospital all night after being severely wounded in the explosion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2014.