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.
‘No indications of forced entry’
Speaking to the media today, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General Akhtar Hayat said that based on the preliminary investigation there were no indications of forced entry or gunshots.
He said explosive weapons and ammunition stored in the depot at the police station caught fire, resulting in two huge explosions within an interval of 12 minutes that rocked the Kabal tehsil.
The official, however, added that the details were being gathered.
Hayat pledged to examine all aspects of the incident “with an open mind”, citing the sensitive nature of the area that required a person to cross two gates to enter the premises.
The IG confirmed that the authorities were currently reviewing the video footage of the crime scene. Security officials across the province are on high alert, he added.
Separately, senior CTD officer Khalid Sohail told AFP that 300 kilogrammes of explosives including anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, artillery shells, and mortars were stored in the basement of the police station in addition to improvised explosive devices and suicide vests that had been recovered from the custody of terrorists.
He further stated that bomb disposal squads had begun investigations into the cause of the explosions and the subsequent collapse of the police station.
Condemnations
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a particularly strong condemnation, denouncing the explosion at the police station and said that the nation was in deep mourning over the loss of the police officials who were martyred.
“We will not rest until we eliminate this scourge. My condolences to bereaved families,” he wrote in the tweet.
The premier assured the nation that the details surrounding the blast will be disclosed once the investigation has concluded.
President Arif Alvi also conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims and expressed his sadness at the loss of life caused by the blast.
PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan offered his condolences to the families of the victims. He also expressed his hopes for a speedy recovery for those who were injured in the incident.
