At least three people were killed and 28 injured Thursday after a bomb blast rocked a busy shopping market of Pakistan's Lahore, police said.
"Initial investigations show that it was a time-controlled device on a motorbike which was the cause of the blast," Rana Arif, spokesman for Lahore police, told news agency AFP.
The blast that shattered windows of nearby shops and buildings took place at the Paan Mandi in Lahore's famous Anarkali market, where Indian commodities are sold.
Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Usman told reporters that two people were killed and 28 others injured in the blast claimed by a Baloch insurgent group.
Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in the region.
Condemning the blast, Prime Minister Imran Khan urged authorities to provide the best medical facilities to the injured. He also sought a report from the Punjab government.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said those responsible for the blast will not be able to escape the clutches of the law and directed the inspector general of police to submit a report on the incident.
The injured have been shifted to the Mayo Hospital where two succumbed to their injuries, according to the Rescue 1122.
Mayo Hospital medical superintendent Dr Iftikhar said that two persons including a boy succumbed to their wounds. He said the condition of four injured brought to the hospital is critical.
Several motorcycles and vendors' stalls were also damaged on the blast and Police have cordoned off the area. The whole Anarkali Bazaar has been shut after the blast.
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