At least 15 people have lost their lives when a powerful bomb explosion hit a bus carrying government employees in Pakistans troubled northwestern province ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa near the border with Afghanistan.
More than two dozen others also sustained injuries in the blast near Sunehri Masjid in Peshawar, situated 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of the capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday morning.Medical sources said three women were among the injured taken to the hospital. Five of the victims are reportedly in a critical condition.
Superintendent of Police Cantonment, Muhammad Kashif, said the blast was caused by explosive material planted inside the bus.
Fifteen people were killed and 25 others were severely injured, the police officer added.
Bomb experts on the scenesaid eight kilograms of high-grade explosives were used in the attack.
The explosion took place as the bus was carrying government workers from Mardan districtto their offices in the provincial capital city.
Windows of nearby buildings broke due to the force of the explosion.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
Pakistani volunteers move an injured victim to hospital after a bomb explosion damaged a bus in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, on March 16, 2016. AFP[/caption]This is the third time that a bus carrying government officials has been attacked in Pakistan in recent years.
On May 13, 2015, at least 45 people, including women and children, were killed when an explosion destroyed a bus in the countrys largest and most populous metropolitan city of Karachi.
A similar bus attack in Peshawar killed 19 government workers and injured 44 others on September 27,2013.
By Press TV
