LAHORE, 14 February (BelTA - APP) - Thirteen persons including two senior police officers were killed while 86 others sustained multiple injuries when a suicide attacker blew himself up at the Charing Cross, The Mall here on Monday.
According to Rescue 1122, a powerful explosion occurred during a protest by various pharmaceutical bodies.
The Rescue teams rushed to the site of the blast and shifted the injured to various hospitals.
The Punjab Government declared emergency in all hospitals of the provincial metropolis to provide best medical treatment to the injured. All the medical staff was called by the hospital administration to deal with the emergency.
The city hospitals' administration also called for blood donations from the citizens.
Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told the media that the attack appeared to be a suicide attack, adding the blast occurred inside the high security zone.
The Minister said that 6 policemen were among the dead, adding that the tragic incident took place due to lapse in the implementation of security SoPs.
The Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) have also arrested 3 suspects from and around the crime scene.
The Punjab government has declared February 14 (Tuesday) as a Day of Mourning to express solidarity with the martyrs of the Charing Cross blast. Trade bodies of the city have also announced to keep their shutters down on February 14 in protest.
