A powerful blast outside district courts in Islamabad has resulted in casualties, with witnesses reporting multiple fatalities and chaotic scenes.
ISLAMABAD: An explosion outside district court buildings in Pakistan’s capital has caused multiple casualties, witnesses confirmed on Tuesday.
The blast occurred in a residential area housing several government offices around 12:30 pm local time.
Lawyer Rustam Malik described hearing “a loud bang at the gate” as he entered the complex.
“It was complete chaos, lawyers and people were running inside the complex,” Malik told AFP.
“I saw two dead bodies lying on the gate and several cars were on fire.”
Another witness, lawyer Mohammed Shahzad Butt, called it “a massive blast” that triggered panic.
“I have seen at least five dead bodies lying at the front gate,” Butt said.
A security official speaking anonymously reported 12 bodies and 20 wounded people taken to a nearby government hospital.
Police and paramilitary troops immediately cordoned off the affected area.
The cause of the explosion remains unclear with no official confirmation of casualty numbers yet available. – AFP
