Explosions rock City

LAHORE-At least seven people including two minor children were injured, two of them critically, in three consecutive bomb blasts in Garhi Shahu, one of the crowded and busy areas of the City late on Tuesday night.

First explosion took place in the basement of Chinno Juice Corner situated alongside the road while the others occurred minutes after first blast in two other shops including again another juice corner and a beauty parlour.

It is pertinent to mention here that the site where incident took place was ideal place for the couples and the families as it was well decorated with especially juice corners, PCOs and beauty parlours. Local people were concerned over alleged misuse of the shops for immoral activities.

Police, rescuers and the Bomb Disposal Squad officials were busy in the rescue operation when the second blast took place at GM Beauty Parlour nearly 50 yards away from the first blast site. As soon as the police, Rescue 1122 and bomb disposal squad officials rushed to the new site of blast, they witnessed another third bomb blast in Basco juice corner some yards away.

A vehicle of the Bomb Disposal Squad officials was also partially damaged. All these three blasts took place within 15 minutes. A Bomb Disposal Squad official said that according to the preliminary investigation time devices were planted in the shops.

The targeted shops were situated alongside the main road of Garhi Shahu that leads to Garhi Shahu Bridge and a famous girls college. The site, where serial blasts occurred, was most populated area of the City with a large number of juice corners, grocery shops, PCOs and hotels. Especially, the juice corners were favourite for the families, couples and also school and college girls where normally extraordinary rush was witnessed.