Death toll in Pakistan bombings rises to 63

TIL Desk/World/Islamabad/ The death toll in Friday’s blasts targeting civilians and security personnel in Quetta and Parachinar areas of Pakistan has risen to 63, with nine people injured in the twin Parachinar blasts succumbing to their injuries overnight, local media reported. More than 200 injured people are being treated in hospitals.

Most casualties happened in Parachinar – 50 dead and about 200 wounded – because a second bomb attack was timed to target people rushing to help victims injured in a prior explosion, reports said. Eyewitnesses in Parachinar said the first blast, which took place in the busy Turi Market where people were shopping for Eid, occurred minutes after an Al Quds Day rally had started dispersing at some distance from the blast site.

Muhammad Hussain, who sustained injuries in the incident, told that he was heading for his poultry shop after the conclusion of the Al Quds rally when the first blast took place. Another explosion shook the area soon after a large number of people rushed to the site to help the injured. “I lost consciousness after the second blast and later found myself on a hospital bed,” Hussain said.