Bomber kills 32 in pre-Eid carnage

PESHAWAR — At least 32 people were killed and 56 others injured when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into a hotel in Ustarzai area in district Kohat on Friday.
In a latter development, three more persons were killed when some unknown assailants opened indiscriminate fire on the funeral of one of the victims of the blast.
The bomber blew himself up at a bazaar outside Kismat Ali hotel near a bus-stand in Usterzai locality apparently dominated by Shia community on Hangu Road that resulted in flattering the two-story hotel completely, killing 32 people and injuring 50 others. Besides, damaging 26 shops and 15 vehicles.
The dead bodies lay on the road and casualties were trapped under the debris from shops that caved in after the blast. Eyewitnesses said that several cars were destroyed while the intense blast brought down more than two dozen shops at the crowded market.
They said that the suicide bomber struck his explosive-filled car with other vehicles parked on the roadside. As the bomber blew himself up the whole buildings on both sides of the road caved in completely.
At the time of suicide attack, the area was packed with shoppers buying food and sweets for Eidul Fitr holiday likely to be celebrated on Sunday in the province. An eyewitness said that a suicide bomber blew up a car filled with explosives in the market, saying the attack occurred near a bus stop where passenger buses and coaches arrive and depart from other towns including FATA.
According to the bomb disposal squad, it was a suicide attack, in which the explosives-laden vehicle probably contained more than 150kg of explosives was used and the blast shook Kohat.
The rescue teams worked through the afternoon to pull victims from the rubble. Most of the injured are stated to be in critical condition and they were taken to Peshawar. Furthermore, emergency was declared at hospitals in Kohat. Soon after the explosion, Kohat-Hangu road was closed off for all sort of traffic. Link...