Pakistani law enforcement agencies said on Monday that at least five people were killed and 10 others sustained injuries in a bomb blast near an under-construction building in the city of Chaman. According to authorities, a bike was fitted with an IED or an improvised explosive device in the Mall Road area of the city.
A garage in the vicinity of the explosion is said to have been completely gutted by the fire resulting from the explosion. So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The area has been cordoned off by security forces and the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital.
Increasing Attacks
Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Prime Minister Imran Khan has strongly condemned the Chaman blast and prayed for the recovery of those injured, reported The Express Tribune. In recent months, Balochistan has witnessed an increase in attacks. At least one person was killed and six others were injured after an explosion in Turbat bazaar on July 21.
Heavy Monsoons Claim Lives
While Pakistan is reeling under the pressure of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recurrent terrorist attacks, at least 64 people were killed across Pakistan due to the heavy monsoon rains currently lashing the country.
According to a report released by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday night, at least 19 children and nine women are among those who lost their lives in different rain-related incidents in areas ranging from the north to the south of the country, reports Xinhua news agency.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was the worst-hit region with 25 deaths, followed by Sindh (12) and Balochistan and Punjab provinces which reported eight deaths each. At least 10 people died in the Gilgit-Baltistan region in the north of the country.
Flash-floods have destroyed four bridges and disconnected road links among hundreds of villages, the report said, adding that over 300 houses were also damaged or completely destroyed.
Rescue and Relief Efforts Underway
Hundreds of Pakistan Army troops backed by helicopters had to rush to affected areas to assist the local rescue and relief services having inadequate resources and expertise to cope with the current emergency situation.
"Pakistani troops (are) busy in relief and rescue efforts in various areas of Dadu, a district in Sindh, to help people affected by recent hill torrent and breach of flood protection bund of Nai Gaj Dam," Pakistani army's media wing the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.
"Army Engineer boats and Army medical teams are rescuing stranded people to safer places. Medical camp established and providing necessary medical care. Hot meals being served to affected people." The monsoon rail spells have also severely inundated major cities, including Karachi and Lahore.
(With inputs from agencies)
