The death toll from the attack on a mosque in Peshawar (Pakistan) rises to 72

31 Jan. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Pakistani authorities have reported this Tuesday that there are already 72 dead and 150 injured in a new balance of victims after the suicide attack perpetrated by Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Pakistani Taliban, inside the mosque of Police Lines, in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, capital of the Jiber Pajtunjua province (north).

The emergency services have reported this new balance this morning, after they recovered at least a dozen bodies from the rubble of the mosque, according to the Pakistani television channel Geo TV.

However, the country’s authorities do not rule out that the number increases, due to the seriousness of some of these injuries and that there would still be people buried under the rubble of the building.

Peshawar Police Chief Ejaz Jan said Monday that it was unknown how many people were trapped in the rubble of the mosque, located near the main police station. “We are focused on the rescue operation,” he said.

Among the dead is the imam of the mosque, Sahibzada Nurulamin, according to police. The suicide bomber had placed himself in the front row during the midday prayer that took place in the mosque before activating the explosive charge he was carrying, after which TTP has published a statement on its propaganda channels stating that he was a member of the group.

The explosion occurred in the prayer room, the main room of the mosque, which had a capacity for 250-300 people. Following the attack, the provincial Department of Health declared a “medical emergency” and asked all health workers to remain on alert to treat the large number of victims.