13 People Killed, 100 Hurt, in Twin Bombs in Lahore
By Farhan Sharif
March 11 (Bloomberg) -- At least 13 people were killed and another 100 injured in twin bomb explosions in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore.
``The death toll is expected to rise sharply,'' Hafiz Faisal, a spokesman for Edhi Foundation, the nation's biggest ambulance service, said on the telephone from Lahore. ``Some people died on the spot from the impact. We are still trying to recover bodies from the debris.''
There were two bomb blasts within moments of each other, the government's emergency service said. The first explosion took place in the building of the Federal Investigation Agency, a government office, and the second blast occurred in the residential area of Model Town.
It was the second attack in Lahore this month. At least four people, including two members of the navy, were killed in a twin suicide attack in the city on March 4. The number of people killed in terrorist attacks in Pakistan more than doubled to 2,116 last year, according to the interior ministry.
``Most of the injured are very badly hurt because of the impact of the bomb blast,'' Fiyaz Ahmed Ranjha, medical superintendent at Mayo Hospital in Lahore, said by telephone. ``The death toll could rise further.''
The first explosion took place when a car full of explosives hit the gates of the building, the emergency service said. The second bomb exploded on a motorbike.
Cars were set ablaze and windows of nearby buildings were shattered by today's blasts, GEO television reported.
