DHAKA: At least 17 people were killed and 43 others injured when a bomb exploded on a bus carrying government employees on Peshawar’s Charsadda Road.

“The bomb was planted inside the bus. At the moment, the death of 17 people have been confirmed,” Zahirul Islam, deputy commissioner of Peshawar.

Inspector General of KPK police Nasir Durrani said it was a remote-controlled bomb, containing six to eight kilograms of explosives and planted at the back of the bus, which was taking government staff home to the town of Charsadda after work. He added that it was a planned sabotage activity and the police was assessing the situation.

Durrani confirmed that 17 people have been killed and 43 wounded.

An eyewitness speaking on GEO news channel said the blast was so powerful it threw victims` bodies clear of the vehicle and onto the roadside.

Footage showed the back of the bus reduced to a tangle of twisted metal by the force of the explosion.

Police and rescue teams reached the site of incident and nine dead bodies were taken to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar while eight bodies were taken to a government hospital in Charsadda.

The target was government employees, Sahibzada Mohammad Anis, the commissioner of Peshawar, told AFP.

Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lies on the edge of Pakistan`s tribal areas, labelled by Washington as the main sanctuary for Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in the country. The city has seen frequent attacks by militants in the past few years, with targets ranging from civilians to policemen and other law enforcement personnel.

Source: Dawn

BDST: 1635 HRS, SEP 27, 2013
GR/AKA/SRS