2017 Lahore explosion
Y-Block Market is located in Lahore Y-Block Market Y-Block Market is located in Pakistan Y-Block Market | |
| Date | 23 February 2017 |
|---|---|
| Location | Defence, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
| Deaths | 10[1] |
| Non-fatal injuries | 31+[citation needed] |
An explosion took place at around 10am on 23 February 2017 in a commercial market in Y-block of Defence, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, killing 10 people.[2]
Events
[edit | edit source]The blast ripped through a building that was under construction at a commercial market in the affluent Defence area, replete with upmarket boutiques and cafes as well as an academy for the international hair salon Toni & Guy. At least 10 people were killed and dozens more injured.[1] The explosion happened a day after the Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was launched, and was initially regarded as a terror attack.[3][4]
However, authorities later ruled out terrorism and said the explosion was caused by a gas leak from a cooking cylinder.[5][6] Punjab's Law Minister Rana Sanaullah blamed the confusion and chaos following the incident for the perception that it was a terrorist attack.[6]
The government's account of the nature of the incident was met with skepticism by others. Pakistani-American martial artist Bashir Ahmad, who narrowly escaped the explosion, said: "My driver told me it was a transformer blast but because of my military experience I knew that the vibration in the area was that of a bomb." A former U.S. Army medic who served in the Iraq War, Ahmad added: "There was just so much damage, nothing but a bomb could’ve caused such destruction."[7]
Alferno Café, situated in the basement of the building hit by the explosion, was damaged as a result. According to a worker at the cafe, the owner had bought five 45 kg gas cylinders a few days earlier, four of which were placed in the basement. Some workers had complained of a foul smell, which may have suggested leakage occurring. The worker added "My brother, Asif, lit a matchstick to smoke a cigarette which could have possibly triggered the explosion". He was killed in the explosion.[8]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).A powerful explosion in an under-construction building in Lahore's busy Defence Y block area, left nine people dead and more than 20 injured.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).A day earlier, Pakistan’s military announced the launch of a new nationwide military offensive, codenamed Radd-ul-Fasaad (suppressing mischief), with an aim to eliminate remnants of terrorists, following a sharp spike in terrorist attacks.
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- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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