Peshawar: A bomb went off outside a
police-run school in this troubled northwestern Pakistani city on Monday, killing a child and injuring 11 others, including nine
students.
The explosion occurred outside the main gate of the
Police Public School and College on University Road shortly
after 1 pm.
A large number of children were leaving the school,
where classes had just ended.
Police said the blast was caused by an explosive
device planted in an empty shop adjacent to the school.
The Khyber Teaching Hospital received the body of a
child and seven injured persons, Medical Superintendent Khizar
Hayat said.
Four more injured persons were taken to another
hospital.
Officials said all the injured were out of danger. The
injured were taken away from the site in ambulances as
security forces cordoned off the area and blocked the road
outside the school.
The blast, which was heard over a large distance,
damaged two cars and two shops.
Footage on television showed rescue workers gathering
schoolbags that were abandoned by children as they fled.
Several educational institutions are located near the
Police Public School.
Most students of the school are children of
policemen. The blast caused panic among residents of Peshawar.
The school is located in a congested area where a
large number of Afghan nationals live.
Since last year, Peshawar has been hit by a series of
bombings and suicide attacks that has claimed hundreds of
lives.
In Islamabad, members of the National Assembly and
Senate, the two houses of parliament, strongly condemned the
terrorist attack on the Police Public School.
The lawmakers described the bombing as cowardly act
of terrorism and said terrorists will never succeed in their
nefarious designs.
They asked people to maintain unity to ward off
threats to Pakistan's security.
PTI
First Published: Monday, April 19, 2010, 18:24