At least five people were killed and dozens of others injured when a powerful bomb ripped through a crowded hotel in Old Anarkali area here on Saturday night.
According to police, it was a timed device which was planted in a restaurant in Old Anarkali’s food street.
A six-year-old girl, identified as Sadia, was also among the dead.
The police first said that the explosive material was first placed underneath a dinning table but later said it was rigged under a freezer.
The bombing caused screaming and mourning all the way as the people scampered towards exit to save their lives.
Rescue 1122 sources said that at least 37 injured were rushed to Mayo Hospital from the blast site, and three of them succumbed to their wounds during the treatment. Twenty20 more people are said to be in critical condition and the death toll is feared to climb.
Several nearby buildings and vehicles were also damaged in the blast.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, MQM and chief Altaf Hussain and the leaders of several other political and religious parties have strongly condemned the blast.
