PESHAWAR, May 20: At least eight people were injured when a huge blast took place on the first floor of a commercial plaza on Saddar Road in Peshawar’s cantonment area on Monday.

The injured, including shopkeepers and their customers, were taken to Lady Reading Hospital, where they all were stated be stable.

Police claimed that the incident occurred after a power generator exploded.

“A power generator has exploded, damaging the building and injuring the people,” said ASP of cantonment circle Bilal Khan.

DSP of cantonment circle Habib Khan said the bomb disposal unit had cleared the area and that no signs of explosives had been found from the spot.

He said majority of the people had sustained injuries due to the shattering of windowpanes.

The DSP identified them as Ali Yawar Hashmi, Bilal, Hamza, Rafiq, Rehmat Alam, Rehmat Fazal, Shahid and Siraj.

Eyewitness Sikandar said as soon as he entered the plaza to purchase a cellphone, the blast occurred.

He said the people running from one place to another in panic were injured due to shattered windowpanes.

After the blast, traders closed their shops.

A shopkeeper said: “We are closing to save our valuables from thieves.”

CHILD’S DEATH CAUSES PROTEST: Relatives of a child from Risalpur, who was allegedly tortured to death, on Monday placed the body on Sher Shah Suri Road outside Peshawar Press Club here and demanded arrest of the alleged killers.

An elderly man, Tahmeed Khan of Charsadda, told reporters that he worked as a security guard in Risalpur, where college teacher Aftab and Major Yasin tortured his 16-year-old son, Hamid, to death.

“The teacher had suspected my son of stealing a cellphone. He first brought sniper dogs to my house and then gave my son in the illegal custody of Major Yasin, who tortured him to death,” he alleged.

The elderly man said police had registered an FIR against the accused but had been avoided to arrest them.

He appealed to the Peshawar High Court chief justice to ensure dispensation of justice to him.

The protest led to traffic jam on the road for sometime.