Three die in Peshawar plaza blast

Three die in Peshawar plaza blast

Updated at: 1213 PST, Saturday, December 05, 2009 PESHAWAR: At least three people were killed and 14 others injured in a blast near a restaurant on University Road in Peshawar’s area of Tehkal, Geo News quoted police sources as saying Saturday. Talking to Geo News, District Coordination Officer Peshawar Sahibzada Muhammad Anis confirmed at least two people were killed in the blast and that blast was a car bomb blast. The deceased include a woman. The relief teams including Fire Brigade and police and ambulances arrived on the spot. The injured have been being rushed to Khyber Teaching Hospital and Lady Reading Hospital; of them, one injured is in critical condition. Soon after the blast, the United Plaza building and adjoining buildings caught fire. The firefighters extinguished the fire. According to NWFP IG Malik Naveed, all the trapped people in the building have been evacuated. The University Road area is a commercial site, where many offices including those of lawyers and custom agencies and handicraft shops are situated at this plaza. Police put security cordon around the blast site. The Jamrood Road, known as University Road has been blocked for traffic. It should be mentioned that Afghan refugees are residing in the area. According to eyewitnesses, a suspected car, which was parked there for a long time, blew up with a loud explosion. Afterwards, some low intensity blasts were also heard. The blast harmed the nearby buildings and vehicles. (Last updated at 1225)