The death toll from Monday’s twin blasts at the Kabal police station in Swat rose to 16 on Tuesday as the cause of the explosions was yet to be ascertained, officials said.
Two explosions rocked the police station a day earlier, which occurred on the premises of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) office.
A report issued by the Office of Deputy Commissioner Swat today, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said two consecutive explosions took place inside the CTD police station inside Kabal Police Lines at 8:29pm on Monday night.
The explosions, which shattered the roof of the police station, the CTD office, and a mosque located inside the station, were also followed by a fire.
According to the KP police, out of the fatalities, nine were police officers and six were civilians, while the identification of others was still being processed.
The deceased were identified as sub-inspector (SI) Abdullah Khan, SI Ashraf Ali, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) CTD Sher Alam; constables Taj Muhammad, Asmat Ali, Khalilur Rahman, Bakht Rokhan, Fazal Raziq; Nahid and 2-year-old Azan.
The report added that 63 people were injured in the explosions out of which eight were in critical condition.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Shafiqa Gul told Dawn.com that a rescue operation was underway at the blast site for the second day, in which about 100 rescue officials and heavy machinery were participating.
She said the deceased hailed from Swat, Mardan, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Shangla, Buner, Malakand and Chitral. “The bodies are being sent back to the hometowns where they will be laid to rest,” Gul added.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Secretary Mahmood Aslam Wazir said hospitals across Swat had been put on high alert. An emergency had also been declared at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital to cope with emergencies.
He said all the staff was directed to report to their duty stations while Swat’s regional blood centre had been mobilised to provide blood immediately to the hospitals.
