An attack by a suicide bomber on a procession honoring the birth of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed left at least 40 people dead and numerous others injured in Pakistan’s Balochistan region on Friday, according to officials.
Four people were murdered in a roof fall during a second suicide attack by two guys at a mosque hundreds of kilometers to the north, according to officials.
While the majority of Islamic sects in Pakistan accept the Prophet’s birthday celebration, some groups see it as an unwarranted innovation.
According to officials, a suicide bomber exploded a device in southwest Balochistan as crowds from nearby mosques gathered at a gathering spot in Mastung, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the province capital, Quetta.
“All of a sudden I heard an explosion… many people got injured and many were martyred,” said Ilyas Khan, a student.
Local hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of wounded, and provincial authorities used social media platforms to appeal for blood donors.
“At least 45 fatalities have been confirmed, and 70 individuals have sustained injuries in the explosion,” Zubair Jamali, the provincial home minister, told AFP. A district police officer gave a slightly lower toll.
“I can confirm that the current death toll has risen to a minimum of 42 individuals, with over 65 others injured,” Shoaib Masood told AFP
People march in processions and mosques and governmental structures are magnificently decorated with lights to commemorate the Prophet’s birthday.
In Karachi, Pakistan’s port city, a suicide bomber targeted a gathering of Sunni Muslims on the same day in April 2006 and detonated a device, killing at least 50 people.
