Accidental blast kills four in Peshawar

PESHAWAR - At least four persons including a woman were killed and 14 others got injured in an accidental blast here in a shopping plaza on Saturday. Police sources informed that the blast occurred in a fibreglass shop in United Plaza and no evidence of explosive material was found. The blast might be a result of chemicals present inside the fibreglass shop, they added. Rescue teams rushed towards the blast site soon after the blast. Police and security personnel cordoned off the area and started investigation. The dead and the injured were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital and Khyber Teaching Hospital. A senior doctor at Lady Reading Hospital told TheNation that all the victims received burnt injuries and there was no evidence that it was a bomb blast. Most of the injured were shifted to burn units of the aforementioned hospitals. The deceased included Saad, Badshah and Mohammad Dawoom, while the injured were identified as Mubarik Shah, Adnan Laiq Zarsheed, Islamud Din, Shaukat, M. Ali, Asif Khan, Khurram, Ishtiaq, Noman Irshad Hussain, Bawar Aziz Khan, Zyarat Khan Nusrat Khan, Malik Hussain and Gohar Zaman. Later the people expressed severe anger over governments stance and blocked the main road. They said that government had failed to provide security to masses and was trying to hide its performance. They said it was a bomb blast and demanded compensation. Agencies add: It was a low-intensity explosion caused by a chemical reaction, local bomb disposal chief Shafqat Malik told AFP. He added that the blast occurred in a chemical shop in the market. City Police Chief Liaqat Ali Khan also confirmed the blast was accidental and caused by a chemical reaction, promising 'stern action against those dealing in dangerous chemicals in densely populated areas of Peshawar. Police said initially that a bomb had exploded near a fast food restaurant. Hours later two police officers and a local government official said it was an accidental blast.

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