DHAKA: An explosion occurred in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park of Iqbal Town on Sunday evening, killing at least 53 people and injuring over a 100, police said.

Iqbal Town Superintendent of Police Dr Muhammad Iqbal said the explosion was a suicide attack and took place in a children’s park, where a large number of families, especially women and children, were present on a Sunday evening.

The area is a renowned residential area of Lahore.

Eye witnesses said there were pools of blood and scattered body parts in the park.

An eyewitness, talking to DawnNews, said dead bodies and injured were on the ground everywhere.

“We took the injured to hospitals on rickshaws and taxis.”

He said the crowd was “unusually large” because of Easter.

“The roads were also jammed and queues of vehicles could be seen till Moon Market.”

Many eyewitnesses said there was no security present in and around the park. A man, talking to DawnNews, said, “The park is huge and has many entrance gates. There were almost negligible security personnel present there”.

An emergency has been declared at all government hospitals in the city, and a heavy contingent of police has cordoned off the area.

BDST: 2141 HRS, MAR 27, 2016
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