Up in smoke: Survivors recount moments of horror

Shafiq Wahgah, who often visited Wagah, said the whole arena throbbed with the echoes of the blast

LAHORE:

The national flag had just been lowered and people were queuing up to leave the arena. “[Just then] I heard a deafening blast and there was dense smoke everywhere. I passed out,” said Raza, one of those injured in Sunday’s suicide attack at the Wagah border.

“When I came to, there were bodies everywhere and people groaning and crying,” he said. Raza was put in an ambulance and brought to Ghurki Trust Hospital.

“I didn’t see a flash or the person who blew himself up. Just a very loud bang and the ground beneath me slipped from under my feet,” he said. Raza was around 550 metres away from where the blast had occurred.

Shafiq Wahgah, who often came to see the parade and flag-lowering ceremony, said the whole arena throbbed with the echoes of the blast. It was filled with smoke. He said that he ran outside to see what had happened but only saw bodies and people screaming and writhing in pain.

“It was a suicide attack. The terrorist couldn’t enter the area where people watch the parade so he detonated his vest near the Rangers’ check post.”

He said he initially thought that some gas cylinders at the shops near the arena had blown up. “There has never been any terrorist activity in this area before,” he said.

A woman cries at the Ghurki Trust Hospital. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS

Ghurki Trust Hospital witnessed several heartbreaking scenes on Sunday. Eight members of a family, who had travelled from Samundari to see the parade, died in the blast. They included three women and two children. “We were visiting our relatives in Lahore,” one of the family members said. “They brought us to Wagah border for the flag-hoisting ceremony and parade. We didn’t know it was death that brought us here.”

Another family lost five of its members in the attack. Tanzeela Bibi said her two brothers, their wives and another relative had gone to Wagha border to watch the parade. “I was home and didn’t know about the attack. One of our neighbours told me and I ran to Mayo Hospital where I found out that they had died.”

Shabana, who was present at the site of the attack, said it happened only a few minutes before sunset. People were returning home after their prayers. She said it happened approximately 600 metres away from the sitting area.

“I fell on the road and was unable to stand up for some time after that. The blast was deafening. I can still hear a faint buzz in my ear. I think my hearing is impaired.”

She said that she had survived because she was walking towards the second check post where her vehicle was parked. It was around 450 metres away from the site of the attack, she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2014.